The Path of Water
by Arlia'Devi
Summary: Volume Two. In this sequel, Chihiro and Haku face new adversaries while living in the Imperial Palace. Haku, now Lord of the Eastern Lands, must juggle his responsibilities as trouble brews in the west, all the while trying to stay by Chihiro's side. Chihiro, a human living among spirit nobles, finds she has her own problems to deal with.
1. I: Desperado

**The Path of Water**

By Arlia'Devi

Disclaimer: I do not own Spirited Away in any respect; all rights go to Hayao Miyazaki and associates. I make no money from this.

This is the second volume of my Spirited Away fanfiction. I ask you to please begin at 'The Path of Water: Volume One", if you've stumbled here and are remotely interested. It will make a lot more sense, trust me.

To those who have been eagerly awaiting the second instalment of this series, thank you for your patience and wait no more!

**The Path of Water**

**Volume Two.**

**I: ****Desperado**

_"By three methods we may learn wisdom: First, by reflection, which is noblest; Second, by imitation, which is easiest; and third by experience, which is the bitterest." **  
**_**~ Confucius**

Chihiro sighed and ran her finger over the mouse cursor and scrolled the online news page down. With her head resting in her hand, her eyes read over that day's latest news headlines.

_Interest rates down as the big banks make the 'Big Cut'!_

_Dani and Akira – the battle that's tearing them apart._

_How to lose five pounds in five days – the coconut detox way!_

Ugh.

It was beginning to get insufferable. True, the first week had been fine – she'd actually managed to not think about Haku as to get into the horribly depressing zone of wanting and self-loathing, and that had been nice. She'd busied herself with chores with her mother, watching television and travelling to the next town to do grocery shopping. The following week she'd read books she'd never had time to read and watched movies until her eyes had bled. The third week, Yuuko began to get worried and voiced her concerns – voiced the concerns Chihiro wasn't willing to accept.

"Well," Yuuko had said while leaning on a kitchen bench, her arms crossed over her chest and her eyebrows furrowed. At that time, it had been just a little over two weeks. "I just don't understand Chihiro…," then she sucked in a breath and looked over to her daughter, and her eyes conveyed everything Chihiro didn't want to say.

Now, it was bordering on a month.

A month without any contact.

He'd said it would be a week, two at most, and yet here she was, almost four of those promised weeks later. She had nothing to do but think of him – wonder if he was still alive, wondering if everything he had said was a lie. No. He'd never lie to her, would he?

At four weeks she was beginning to doubt things – doubt his word, and doubt everything they'd done together. Had the past six months meant nothing to him, really, and this was his way out? Had he tricked her, or deceived her? Had Rin been right? Dragons were cunning by nature, she'd told her that one of the first nights she'd arrived in the spirit world. Had she been too naïve and blind to realise he'd been playing her like a fool?

And there was that horribly depressing zone she'd been trying so hard to avoid.

Five months ago, she'd stumbled into the spirit world and had been encapsulated in the mythical world, just as she had been when she was 10. Suddenly she was back with Rin, Kamaji and Haku (and a few new others!), and she didn't want to leave; not immediately. The scholar in her was curious - she'd only just skimmed the surface of this strange world when she'd visited a decade ago, what else was there to learn?

She'd made up a bargain with Haku. He promised to tell her all she needed to know, and living at the bathhouse would teach her. He gave her six months, and she took it.

And it had only taken them three months to fall madly in love.

Chihiro shut down the computer and pulled on a pair of sneakers. There was a bicycle out in the shed she rescued from the spiders, before taking it and speeding down the hill. She needed to get out of that house. It was suffocating.

Outside the wind felt nice whizzing past her face, and making her pony tail flap in the breeze behind her head. On the downhill slope, Chihiro picked up enough speed to make her feel like she was flying down, carefully manoeuvring around corners and cars before she made it to the base of the hill. To her right was the Enchanted Forest; it had followed her all the way down the hill and now she stood at the mouth of it – where the tyre tracks of unknown cars ran into the darkness. She stopped her bike, resting one foot on the ground and studied the little houses pushed up against the tree trunk.

_Some people think little spirits live in there…_

They'd fallen in love and he'd asked her to marry him, in both the human and spirit term of the word. She had thought it was the most romantic thing she'd ever seen. This man, this dragon man was one of the most complex things on the wolrd she'd encountered, and yet, she always seemed to figure him out. They had some sort of connection she couldn't ever pin-point and the months they'd had together had been bliss.

He'd always been worried about the unsettlement in the Western Lands, and in the Imperial Palace... Maybe, if only she'd listened...

If only she'd taken it more seriously...

Chihiro sighed and kicked off the ground, pedalling into the forest. Following the tyre tracks, she made her way through a bumpy, unused track slowly. She stopped when she passed the ugly statue, half hidden in the foliage, smiling at her. It's right side was covered in moss, but the side towards the spirit world was clean. Damn, that thing was ugly. The statue watched her blankly. Chihiro pressed on.

By the time she reached the human side of the train station, she didn't know how much time had passed. It felt like a long time, and she was exhausted from the ride. The bike fell to the ground with a clatter as Chihiro walked to the train station entrance.

She could see the other side at the other end of the tunnel. It was sunny day, and if she squinted, she could make out the skies and grass. Other than that, it was all dark and gloomy.

It was right there.

"You said you'd come back for me!" she screamed into the tunnel, her voice echoing through the empty space. "You said it would only be a couple of weeks!"

The wind ruffled the leaves above her in response. The forest was silent.

"If you never wanted to see me again you could have just said so!" she yelled. "God damn it, Haku!"

If only she'd listened. If only she'd taken it seriously, maybe she wouldn't have been here - abandoned.

She kicked the wall with a grunt and fell to her knees, crying. There was nothing out here, except for the odd bird or lizard listening to her screaming. Chihiro sniffed and wiped her running nose on her sleeve, staring ahead into the tunnel. She sighed and stood up again, her hot angry tears being batted away with quick fingers.

"Fine," she mumbled out, turning on her heel and stalking back to her bicycle. "Be that way." She hauled the rickety thing back into an upright position and walked it back out of the forest.

* * *

The dreams had started two weeks ago. Chihiro woke up in the middle of the night, a coat sheet of sweat covering her body. She stumbled out of bed, her legs feeling heavy and numb and went downstairs for a glass of water and tried to banish the thoughts from her head.

Haku unconscious. Haku bleeding. Haku – dead.

That was how they usually went. She saw him fall, and ran to his side, but she was always too late. He died in her arms, and his blood stained her skin and clothes. Sometimes he was in dragon form, sometimes he wasn't. When he wasn't, he tried to spit out words through the blood, something like, "I'm sorry," or "I love you," before he passed. It was horrific, and Chihiro always woke up with a start.

This time, however, it had been different.

He'd been in his office, sitting by his desk doing paperwork. It all seemed so wonderfully normal, Chihiro felt her heart swell at the image of her man working in their quarters. He seemed happy this time. The room was being warmed by a fire crackling healthily in the hearth. Smiling, Chihiro tried to get his attention by calling out his name, but he didn't look up. His pen ran across the paper, and his eyes followed the symbols down as he wrote.

She called out his name again, only for it to be echoed by another woman's voice. Rin's voice.

Rin entered behind her, passing through Chihiro as if she was nothing. Was she… was she disappearing? That happened to beings that didn't belong in the world, but...

"Rin," Haku rose from his desk.

"We have a problem down on floor sixteen," she said and Haku nodded, removing himself from his desk and following Rin out the door, passing through Chihiro in the process.

In his departure, she said the only thing she could think of.

"Why didn't you come back to me?!" she screamed at him.

Haku paused a moment, his hands grasping the doorknob as he looked around the room warily.

"Haku?" Rin called nervously from ahead. "Is something wrong?"

Haku hesitated, scanning the room once again.

"Nothing," he grunted eventually. "I just thought I heard something, but it's nothing."

He shut the door behind him. Chihiro bolted up to a sitting position in her bed, gasping and clutching at her aching chest.

"God damn it, Haku," she griped, rolling her lead-heavy legs out of bed to stumble downstairs and grab a glass of water. Not long after, she had collapsed at the dining room table, muffling her sobs with her hands so she wouldn't wake her parents.

* * *

At six weeks her mother had said, "Are you sure you don't want to come tonight, honey?"

Chihiro shook her head and switched the channel on the television. "I'm sure, Mama. You two have a good time."

Yuuko sucked in a breath before looking at her husband. Aiko only nodded once and said to his daughter, "Alright, well, you be good."

"I'm twenty," Chihiro smiled well-naturedly at her father, getting up to grab a frozen pizza from the freezer, passing her father. She gave him a small kiss on the cheek. "I can look after myself. Besides, it looks like it might rain tonight and there's a good movie on television tonight."

Yuuko nodded and smiled. "Well, alright," she said. "We won't be back late."

"Stay out as long as you like," Chihiro replied, putting the pizza in the oven. "Just don't get caught out in the rain."

"Weatherman said there are storm clouds rolling in," Aiko sucked in a sharp breath.

"My poor snow peas, I hope they don't get ripped off their grids," Yuuko pouted, throwing a shawl over her shoulders. Her husband led them towards the back door where the car was parked. "Alright, dear, have a nice time tonight."

"You too," Chihiro smiled, waving her parent's goodbye. She heard the car reverse out of the driveway, and then the tyres crunch down the street.

Chihiro sighed and opened a bottle of cheap wine and pouring a generous glass before flicking the channel to the news.

"And to the weather," the news anchor said. There was a transition to a man in front of the green-screened local area.

"Thanks," acknowledged the weather man, "but we're in for some nasty weather tonight. It's really going to whip up into frenzy tonight, with strong weather warnings authorised for the area. There will be strong winds, thunder and lightning. We're hoping the storm to pass by early morning, and it should roll in about nine o'clock. That will give you all some time to lock those cats and dogs up before it really starts raining cats and dogs."

Chihiro rolled her eyes, changed the channel back to the movie and went to grab her pizza.

_Pizza_, she hummed over the frozen meal… _the one thing the spirit world has not invented. And yet it's so essential to human survival all over the world._

Chihiro settled in to watch the mindless movie, eat mindless junk food and drink a mindless amount of cheap wine. Although she didn't plan to get hammered by herself, suddenly half the bottle was gone and she was feeling kind of tingly and warm.

Chihiro ran upstairs, pulling off her spring/summer pyjamas for a pair of parachute pants and a windbreaker. There was a pair of gumboots a size too small for her in the back of her wardrobe, and she hastily slipped those on as well, before tying her hair back with a band. She grabbed a poncho on the way out, slipping it over her head before exiting the house and heading to the back gate.

Outside, the rain was already coming down. Chihiro dug a torch from out her pocket and flicked it on, its beam cutting through the darkness and illuminating the path ahead of her.

The trail up the hill had turned to mud. The area was alive with the sounds of frogs gurgling to each other in the summer storm.

Chihiro trudged up the hillside, sinking her heels into areas where the trail had fallen away for mud as she tried to reach the top of the hill.

The peak of the hill was clear. It was cleared for a property development site that had never gone through. Now, it remained like the bald spot on the top of a man's head, with forest and housing surrounding it. She'd been up there one hundred times as a kid – it was a great place for seeing the stars.

The rain pelted down. In the distance she heard the rolling of thunder.

And thunder always followed lightning.

* * *

Thanks to all those readers who waited loyally for the next installment. Here it is! It's going to be updated once a week again, as the other fan-fiction was. I'm looking for an editor for this fanfiction, the details are on my profile and please don't hesitate to PM me if you're interested (I don't bite!).

I had to upload this as Path of Water Volume Two, which I thought was totally lame. I originally wanted to call both fanfics "The Path of Water", but if anyone has a water related suggestion for this fanfic to be called, then I'm all for it. If not, I guess I'll just stick with this one.

Thanks to all the readers who reviewed The Path of Water vol 1 - it reached over 1000 reviews while I was on my very short hiatus. I was overwhelmed and so happy - thank you for your support.

That's all I have to say at this point. Until next time, please take the time to leave a quick **review **before you go!

~**Arlia'Devi.**


	2. II: Numb

**The Path of Water**

By Arlia'Devi

Disclaimer: I do not own Spirited Away in any respect; all rights go to Hayao Miyazaki and associates. I make no money from this.

**The Path of Water**

by Arlia'Devi

**LIV: Numb**

_There's much to be said for feeling numb. Time passes more quickly. You eat less, and because numbness encourages laziness, you do fewer things, good or bad, and the world's probably a better place for it._

**~ Doug Coupland.**

The rain pelted down on her. The sky looked normal for night, one black sheet of black stretching across the sky, and Chihiro would have thought no different of the night time sky had there been any trace of the moon or the stars dotted in the sky. Instead, it was a thick layer of black storm cloud that had descended upon her hometown, and she stood at the highest peak in the surrounding hillside, looking into the sky and waiting for the lightning to strike.

"Raijin!" Chihiro screamed into the air. In the distance, thunder rolled. "Raijin, it's me, Chihiro!"

She spat water from her mouth and shaded the rain from her eyes.

"I need your help!" she cried. Lightning struck in the distance, illuminating up the entire sky in a haunting show. "Please, Raijin!"

She stepped forward, scanning the skies for any sign of the white-haired, purple skinned thunder god. There was only darkness and thick clouds.

"I think something terrible has happened to Haku – I'm worried," she cried. "Please, I need to talk to someone."

She called for what seemed ages, until she was soaked to the bone and she realised no one was going to respond to her. With a huff, she eventually made her way back down the slippery slope, the rain pounding on her back all the way home.

She kicked off her muddy gumboots by the back door, hidden behind a rack so her parent's wouldn't get suspicious. She couldn't tell if it was the rain, or her own tears that was making her vision all blurry, but she quickly stripped off to her underwear once inside. The clock had just hit ten, and Chihiro ran up the stairs to draw a bath.

She heard her parents arrive home not too long after as she went to her room to get changed. Her mother was complaining about the horrid weather outside as she climbed the staircase, her heels left outside to be washed tomorrow.

"Hey darling, how was your night in?" Yuuko asked as Chihiro emerged in fresh, warm pyjamas.

"Good," she said. "The movie finished, so I decided to have a bath – give my hair a treatment."

"That's nice – want a cup of tea? I put the kettle on."

Chihiro shook her head. "Sorry Mum," she said. "I think I'm just going to head to bed. I'm kind of beat, anyway,"

"Did you drink all this wine?" Yuuko asked accusingly, pointing to the half-empty bottle of wine on the servery. Chihiro offered her mother a sheepish look. "Chihiro!" Yuuko cried in mock-outrage. Chihiro laughed and ascended the stairs for bed.

* * *

This place wasn't like all the other dreams she'd had. And Chihiro knew she was dreaming, because she didn't know how she'd gotten here, and like the movie had said tonight, she probably wouldn't remember how she left.

But this place, this space, was completely white – like a post-modern version of an artistic alternate dimension of nothingness. She took in a breath. The air was ice cold.

In the distance, she saw him. He was dressed in a white tunic and pants combo, the only thing she identified was his moss-green hair falling in straight sheets from his hair and fanning out around his shoulders.

Chihiro approached him slowly, her bare feet slapping against the ground as she took a step forward. She looked down to herself – her skimpy pyjama pants and tank; of course she couldn't be wearing something a little more elegant. This was her dream after all.

He turned to her, and his green eyes looked glassy. They looked like marbles. She wasn't sure if he even saw her, or if he did, did he recognise her.

"You're here," he murmured after a moment and Chihiro sucked in a breath. He was speaking to her – he could see her! Who cared if this was a dream –

She only had one question to ask him.

"Haku, are you dead?"

Haku smiled gently down at her and brought his hand up to caress her cheek. Chihiro leant into his touch.

"Oh god, you're dead aren't you?" she wept into his hand.

Haku shook his head with a small chuckle. "No."

Chihiro frowned and shook her head. "I don't understand. You said you'd come back for me – don't you want me anymore."

"No, that's not it at all, Chihiro."

"This is the most contact I've gotten from you in seven weeks, and I can't tell if I'm delirious and this is all a figment of my rotting imagination."

Haku was about to reply, but a gasp suddenly escaped his parted lips. His eyes looked shocked and a little pained.

Chihiro looked at the hand that was caressing her cheek. It was slowly disappearing against her skin, just like she had when she first visited the spirit world.

"I can't stay much longer – the human world is pushing me out," he gasped, finding it hard to find words. "Meet me at the gate in the forest, tomorrow night at sunset. Don't be late."

Chihiro nodded. "I will, Haku, I will – please, tell me what's happening with you."

"I will tell you then, there is not enough time…" his chest was beginning to disappear.

"Should I get my things? Do I need to-,"

"Chihiro," he interrupted harshly, startling the woman. "Please be there…," he felt himself about to disappear. "I love you."

And then he was gone.

Chihiro woke up startled. Her body was cold and numb.

* * *

The sun filtered into Chihiro's room, passing through the thin curtains and bathing the small space in late morning sun. On the dishevelled bed of kicked-off-sheets and thrown pillows, Chihiro cracked her eye open and groaned. She rolled over to check the time – 11:02am, and huffed. She never usually slept in, but the last few hours of sleep she'd gotten had been her best few since she could remember.

But had that – had that dream been real? Chihiro played it over in her mind as she shuffled down the stairs for breakfast. He'd looked like some unearthly being, and she supposed he was one, really, in all his godliness. Last night, he'd definitely looked the part. He'd looked so heavenly she could have sworn he was dead.

Chihiro mulled over what he'd said as she crunched on her cereal.

_Meet me at the gate in the forest, tomorrow night at sunset. Don't be late…_

Chihiro huffed and washed her bowl out in the sink. There was still seven hours to kill between now and sunset. Her stomach churned a little at the wondering of what he needed to tell her – was it going to be over between them? Could they never be together?

Chihiro shook her head and made her way upstairs to take a shower. No, she shouldn't think like that. The past six months had been a delicious dream. She loved Haku, and he loved her – she wanted to be with him forever, or as long as this human body would let her. What would she do if he didn't want her anymore? Where would she go?

Back to University?

Chihiro pulled on a shirt and a pair of kahki shorts. She ran a brush through her long chestnut hair. It was a little shorter – she'd gotten it cut last week since it had gotten a little unruly and had split ends.

Of course, University was always an option. She could always go back and do a degree, and get a job out of it. That wasn't a problem.

Chihiro sighed and slumped down on the vanity cabinet, looking at herself in the mirror. She had bags under her eyes, and everything about her seemed to be a little dull – her skin, her hair, her eyes. She remembered feeling like she was glowing in the spirit world – sex with a gorgeous river god tended to do that to someone. Right now it wouldn't have surprised her if she'd lost a little weight and was beginning to look a little sickly again.

Chihiro felt her gut suddenly churn again, but this time she felt a completely different feeling. It had been six weeks since she'd last seen Haku – six weeks since they'd been together. She could barely remember his smell, let alone how it felt to be touched by hands other than hers.

Chihiro literally shivered in anticipation.

* * *

Meanwhile, in a land far away, a young frog spirit stood before his Lord, begging him some monetary assistance for the flood that had swept away their village in the high north and left them starving.

"Please, Lord Kohaku – I've travelled here by foot, my family are back in Yestop awaiting my arrival back…," he shook his head.

Haku sighed and studied the fibres of the ornamental throw under his fingers. The throne was a little uncomfortable, but it was usually adorned with many cushions and ornamental blankets. To the left of the elevated platform in the middle of the room was a golden chase with scarlet upholstery. To the right was the large mahogany desk with a few stacks of paperwork he'd have to get to later. Haku sighed and cast his eyes back down to the frog.

"My family – my wife and little ones," blubbered the small amphibian. "I don't know if they're alright… I haven't heard from them, I'm begging you, my lord-,"

"How many children do you have?" Haku asked, interrupting the frog's pleas.

The frog looked up shocked. "T-three…," he stuttered in reply.

"What are their names?"

He shook his head. "My eldest is Brit, my son's name is Eurone, and then my littlest daughter is Daisie – she looks a lot like her mother, they're all beautiful children."

Haku nodded. "I'll allocate one hundred pieces of gold to your village's reconstruction – will that be enough? Take three pieces of gold for your trip home, as well, on myself." Haku grabbed a small quill and notepad, scribbling down the details before signing the bottom.

The frog leapt to the throne to grab the piece of paper as Haku offered it to him before bowing lowly.

"Oh thank you, my gracious Lord – I will not forget this favour, and neither will my village."

Haku shook his head. "I am doing my job. Go now – give this to reception and they will allocate the gold for you, then hurry home."

"Thank you," the frog gushed. "Thank you so much."

The frog left and the large door to the Throne room was closed. Haku sighed and slumped into his throne.

"That was the last one for the afternoon, my Lord," an attending man said from the doorway.

"Thank you," Haku waved him away and peeled his body off the throne. His back had a terrible kink in it and he needed a long soak in a bath.

He managed to slink back to his quarters without being pulled over by anyone – perhaps people knew to stay away from a rather irritable Lord, or maybe he was pulling a ferocious face or growling without realising it, but he was finally happy to be alone in his quarters.

The walls were too white for his tastes. Everything was too white for his tastes, but through the French doors which opened to a lush private garden was a nice place to relax. Not that Haku got to relax very often, that was.

He made his way through the master bedroom and into the off suite, where he turned the golden faucets to start a bath running into a large ceramic white bathtub. With a groan, he added a few sprigs of juniper and a good dollop of bath oil and then heard a rapping at his chamber's door.

Who dares… He mentally and possibly physically growled as she stalked towards the doors to his chambers. When he threw them open, he was greeted by a pair of sparkling violet eyes and an impish smile. The young woman had purple hair braided high above her head, letting it cascade down her back. She was young, and she was attractive.

"I wanted to know if you needed me, Lord Kohaku," she said somewhat shyly, though the suggestiveness of her smile was nothing but that. "I am the best neck massager in High City…"

Haku recognised her from his younger days – despite her adolescent appearance, he knew the spirit to be quite old, considerably older than him, and a favourite concubine of Sar'onga.

"That won't be necessary," Haku said, clearing his throat. "Goodbye."

Haku went to close the door, but the concubine was quicker and wedged her foot between the door and the frame.

"Listen," she said seriously. "No one else has to know – I know you've had no one else in here for weeks, you must be lonely…," she smiled gently and gently touched his hand that was tightly grasping the doorknob. "You have to be many things, my Lord, but you don't have to be lonely."

Haku frowned, his anger suddenly peaking behind a cool face.

"I have a lover," he grunted. He applied a little pressure and with a hiss, the concubine removed her foot from the door. " She offers me more than you could ever hope to dream of. Do not be so presumptuous as to address me again, unless you're game with your life. I won't hesitate to send you to the houses on the edges of the city."

The woman nodded, a blank look across her pretty face. To say she was a little dazed at the sudden outburst was an understatement. Their Lord never was angr; he was always so sure and careful of himself. And Evette had been so sure he would have accepted the offer. Instead, all she got was a face full of his chamber door when it was slammed.

Haku stalked into the bedroom, seething. He was much too angry to have a bath now – he needed his anger to cool down. Sitting down on the side of the plush king bed, Haku looked out into the garden. Along the roof of the balcony, wisteria fell down in large wines of gathered flowers that smelt sweet, even after months of dormancy. There were red roses near the fountain, and sweet peas growing on the white lattice on the far side of the wall. Haku swallowed thickly and ran his hand through his hair. He looked to the right, out of the bedroom, through the parlour and into the lounge room where a number of boxes were stacked in the shadows. Wordlessly, he got up and approached them.

_Chihiro…_

He gently pried one box open, revealing her neatly packed clothes. They smelt of cardboard and musk – they held little of her scent anymore and Haku realised the disappointment he found in that.

He missed her. Terribly.

Chihiro had always known what to say to him… he was so lost without her. What would she say now? What was right for them. Some days he wanted to go back to the bathhouse, get her back and have everything the way it had been, but for some reason, his feet wouldn't move from the spot. They felt like lead when he looked up to the sky and thought about going to see her.

It had been weeks.

Some days he thought maybe she was better where she was…

He dug through her clothes now, remembering the days when she'd worn them - a flowery dress she'd worn when they'd had a picnic out in the cliff-side gardens and spent the afternoon in each others arms under the was a pair of shorts and t-shirt she'd worn over her swimmers, a short skirt that swayed with her hips just so when she was walking around the bathhouse hallways that made him want to run his hands up and down her creamy thighs. At least, he considered thoughtfully, he would always have these memories.

Haku's fingers brushed something deep in the box that he had not expected. He frowned and pushed the clothes out the way, grabbing the strange fabric and pulling it up and out of the box. Clothes fell over the side and into a heap as he did so until Haku held a heavy piece of clothing, covered in a wrapping of some strange see-through material.

For a long time, Haku studied the strange garment, until he realised it was folded and let the garment fall to the floor within its packaging. What revealed itself was a large, white dress. It was an expensive dress he didn't recognise, in some strange pattern and cut. It held peculiar smells and held a tiny little card was nestled against the neckline.

_Many wishes on the greatest day of your life! All our love, the team at Lace & Memories: Bridal Boutique._

"Oh god."

Haku's hand covered his mouth as he suddenly felt sick. Gingerly he held the wedding gown, gently cradling it to his body with shaking hands.

What had he done?

_Oh, Chihiro…_

* * *

I found a way to call both stories "The Path of Water", don't ask me how, because I don't know. All I know is that I did it, but thanks to those people who left their story titles – they were really great and I was seriously considering changing the name to the offers given to me, so fantastic.

Also, fantastic job reviewing guys! I was worried a few people didn't shift over from Volume 1 when I said this would be chapter 53 onwards, but I'm glad you all read and took the time to review!

**Sally, Sokka2Me, vatiekitez, fightergirl15,DSikitty2224, Pastache, Cinn, Scuffed-kicks, michelle88222, LeeshyLoo, Carly, FlutterbyBella, Kct7, Have a Nice Dream, DemonChild94, LaurenvBelladonna, Randomsam123, WhiteTiger246, Jade Mahoneysuckle, Savvyzzzz The Awesome Ninja** and **Superblueowl.**

Thanks everyone, and please look out for an update on Thursday (Australian time), which roughly equates to a Wednesday in American/UK times, depending on where you're from. The date of update usually changes throughout the year, but it will be one chapter a week as per usual.

Also, if anyone has any spare time on their hands and is feeling creative over this festive season, I'd love a new cover art for this story. Similar to the last competition I held, I'll offer prizes of pre written chapters and worldwide recognition to the winner. Oweeo's cover to "The Path of Water: Volume One" was fantastic but it would be nice to have a different cover for a different volume, to distinguish between the two. If I have any artists out there willing to give it a shot, PM me and let me know!

That's all from me this week. Happy holidays! Please leave a **review** as a Christmas gift for me!

~** Arlia'Devi**


	3. III: Until Midnight

**The Path of Water**

By Arlia'Devi

Disclaimer: I do not own Spirited Away in any respect; all rights go to Hayao Miyazaki and associates. I make no money from this.

This story is now rated **M**. (That took a long time!). Please heed that this chapter contains a lemon (sex scene), as will many other chapters within this story. Please heed this warning if you are uncomfortable reading such material.

**The Path of Water**

**III: Until Midnight**

"_I'm a fool, but I love you dear – until the day I die. Now and then, there's a fool such as I."_

**~ Elvis Presley, (Now & Then, There's A) Fool Such as I.**

Chihiro was blow drying her hair out when she checked the clock for the one hundredth time that hour, and then turned to determine the location of the sun in the sky. No pink or yellow had seeped into the sky just yet, so she decided she'd still have some time left as she ran a comb through her freshly washed locks and threw on a dress.

It was quite warm outside still, despite it supposedly seeping into winter. A lot of the time, the area still held the sting of summer right through autumn, and it was turning out to be quite a warm evening.

Slipping on some tan sandals, Chihiro left her house for the forest, her stomach churning in knots for what could await her out there – would it be Haku? What would he say to her? What would she say to him? She was telling herself to be angry at him, to demand why he didn't break up with her when she'd left to save all this heartbreak. But Chihiro wasn't so sure she could be angry at him. What if, when she saw him, she melted and all her insides went mushy and she accepted all his apologies?

Chihiro shook her head. No, she wouldn't do that. She would give Haku a piece of her mind.

The sky was beginning to get coloured as she made her way through the forest. She felt her blood rushing through her ears, making it impossible to think. Her feet kicked up their speed and she began to run through the forest, feeling the adrenaline course through her veins. The ground flew away under her feet and the sky was red like blood. Sweet air heaved in and out of her lungs. She needed to see him.

The tower stretched up into the red sunset sky, the light reflecting off the old tiles. The clearing felt cold, and Chihiro approached it carefully, panting heavily. The marks from her bicycle were still evident on the ground and as she focused on the clock tower, she willed her heart to stop beating so rapidly and her feet not to falter.

He stood there.

Shadowed by darkness, about halfway into the tunnel, it was definitely Haku. It was his shoulders and height - that lithe, built figure belonged to no one else Chihiro knew. Chihiro's breath caught in her throat as she approached the entrance. Did he expect her to say something? Perhaps not. As she approached him, he said very little.

For a long time, all she could see of Haku were his clothes – from the neck up he was masked in the darkness of the tunnel, the light from the spirit side only offering a silhouette of his form. When she was close to him, an arm's length, or two, she saw a flash in his emerald eyes and the colour of his hair and choked back an audible sob, her hand flying to her mouth to catch it.

She fell into his eager arms, barely containing her sobs when his lips came down to claim her mouth in desperate kisses. Chihiro's hand felt blindly as he kissed her ferociously– into his hair, his cold cheek, the collar of his tunic.

"Haku," she whimpered against his lips. "Is it really you?"

"Of course it is," he replied quickly, silencing her next question with his tongue slipping into her mouth. His hand on the small of her back pressed her body against him.

Chihiro broke the kiss and wanted to speak when suddenly she felt her back hit something hard and the air fly out of her lungs. Her feet were no longer touching the ground, and she was being supported against the wall by Haku's weight. This wasn't what she wanted, she needed to speak with him first.

"There's so much we need to talk about," she tried to protest.

"We'll talk," he promised hoarsely against her neck. "Just give me this."

Chihiro turned away, tears pricking her eyes. Haku's hands ran up her legs, gathering her dress up with it before it was pulled over her head and dropped to the ground without another thought. Chihiro didn't move her hands from his shoulders as he kissed, licked and sucked at her flesh, and kept her eyes screwed tightly shut.

"Chihiro," he moaned against her neck, though not for any other reason than to say her name. Chihiro moved her hand from his shoulder to the back of his neck, feeling the soft strands of his hair caress her fingers. His hands smoothed over her thighs as his lips kissed the column of her throat. When his fingers began to play on her centre, slipping through the panties to hot, wet flesh, he heard Chihiro whimper against his ear and pull her to him, wrapping her legs around his waist.

Chihiro realised suddenly that whatever came after, they still had this. This could be the last time she made love to her dragon.

"Don't stop," she whispered against his ear. Her hands ran down his shoulders and biceps before delving further to pull the ornamented tunic up off his head. As he shook his head free, Chihiro caught his face in the moonlight – so hauntingly beautiful with his alabaster skin and gemmed eyes, she caught his jaw in his hand before he hand a chance to bury it back in her shoulder and kissed him fiercely.

When he slipped inside her, Chihiro arched against the cold stone wall and cried out. His pace was fast from the start, and he groaned against her throat. His hands were never still. Chihiro's fingers twined through his hair. Haku panted and groaned as Chihiro's thighs squeezed his sides.

"Ah," he grit as her walls began to milk him. "God, Chihiro."

"Oh, don't stop," she squealed, feeling her peak rising. "Please, don't stop now."

Her orgasm hit her hard, and she screwed her eyes shut at the beautiful feeling that coursed through her body. Haku must have hit his as well, but she didn't notice when he did. All she knew was that when she came down from her high, she was still pressed against the wall and Haku's nose was nestled against her jaw. She felt him trying to calm his breathing against her skin.

Gently she pushed his sweaty hair from his face.

"I love you," she whispered against his forehead, pressing a kiss against it. She closed her eyes as the tears began to brim. "So much."

"I love you too," he replied gently, earnestly but didn't seem inclined to move. Instead, his thumb brushed over the top of her thighs gently. "I've missed you."

Chihiro wished the words had never come out of her mouth, but she had to ask and she had to know. It was time to break this mood they were under and talk about things they did not want to speak about.

"Why didn't you come and get me?"

He looked up at her blearily before gently pulling her away from the wall and sinking to his knees, cradling Chihiro in his lap. Chihiro sighed at the intimate contact of her love and kissed down his jawline.

"Tell me, please," she asked. "I wish you would have broken up with me before I left."

"What?" he cried. "Why do you wish such a thing?"

Chihiro shook her head. "I've been wrestling with all these thoughts, one of them was that you'd never come to see me, never offer me the closure by breaking up so that I could move on."

He kissed the top of her head. "I don't want to be apart. I did not anticipate how much work there would be when I moved to the High City… I lost track of time." He took in a deep breath, smelling her shampoo. "There's still much wrong with the palace, I did not want you to come if you would be in danger."

She looked up into her mate's eyes. "Will I be?"

"Possibly," he nodded solemnly. "I'm always very busy, but I go home to no one." Chihiro felt him hug her tightly. "There's no one waiting for me to come back from work; I get lonely. When I worked at the bathhouse, I was always busy but you were always there…," he sighed against the crown of her head. "I wish things would go back to the way they were."

"That makes two of us," she whispered.

"I still want to be with you."

Chihiro looked up at him. He offered her a watery smile.

"I don't want to be alone, Chihiro. Don't end this… We'll make it work." As soon as he said those words, he wasn't sure he believed them.

"I thought you were coming to break up with me," she replied.

He shook his head and laughed. "You're the only company I've had that I genuinely like in many weeks. I'm too selfish to let you go."

"Why didn't you come and get me? Why did you make me wait so long?" the questions she'd held for weeks spilled out like water behind a cracking dam.

He chuckled and shook his head. "I thought it was best for you, for us," he shook his head. "I lost track of time, and I became very lonely. I should have retrieved you sooner… I missed you so much, but I thought it might have been better if-,"

"You abandon me without so much as a proper goodbye?" she frowned and shoved his chest a little. "Well thanks a-fucking-lot, Haku."

He laughed gently and smoothed his thumb over Chihiro's cheek. "I smelt how angry you were when you approached. You were going to kill me. Good thing I love how beautiful you are when you're angry."

"I'm still angry," she corrected. "Very angry."

"I know," he replied. "We have time to talk now."

Chihiro rolled her eyes. "What do you propose we do then, Haku?"

"Give me a few more weeks," Chihiro managed to supress her squeak of outrage. "I'll tell Ayne you're coming and then we'll let the palace know. They're still uptight about the Lord having a partner, let alone it being a human." He cast a look down to Chihiro in case she was upset. "I'm sorry that's the way it is."

Chihiro shook her head. "I've known it to be that way all along. It's hard to change such old minds."

"_Ancient_ minds," Haku corrected.

"That Senekular creeps me out," she whispered against his skin, kissing it softly. He tasted so nice, she'd missed the feel of his porcelain skin under her tongue and lips. When she got to his collarbone she didn't stop, moving down his chest with slow open mouthed kisses. She squirmed out of his grasp and gently pushed him to lie down as she kissed down his stomach. Haku squirmed a little.

"H-he's not so bad," Haku gasped as Chihiro travelled lower. "When you get used to him. R-really."

"Really?" Chihiro dead-panned.

Haku managed a chuckle. "Not really," he replied. "He's a total pain in the arse. You should stop," he said when she got a little lower, though his mind was screaming for her to go lower again, for Haku to grab her head and keep her there. He didn't know what she was going to do, but he hoped it was something he'd seen in that dirty little book she'd purchased a few months ago.

It was.

* * *

Two hours later, Chihiro was staring at the roof of the corridor between the Human and Spirit worlds. Besides her, Haku was panting. Their skin was covered in dirt and sweat, and her bones blissfully felt like jelly.

"How long can you stay?" she asked, rolling her head to look up at him.

"Until midnight," he panted back. "You remember how I told you about the grey zone between my world and yours." He felt Chihiro nod against his side. "This is it. We're in both the human and spirit world, at the same time."

"I thought I had just crossed over to the spirit world," Chihiro replied.

"I found out the easiest time to reach this space is at sunrise and sunset – both of our worlds are in sync in that matter. It's a transitional time, but only until noon and midnight respectively."

Chihiro smiled at her mate and stifled a yawn

"Are you tired? You can sleep."

Chihiro shook her head. "I haven't seen you in almost two months, I'm staying awake. Tell me about the Palace."

Haku smiled, running his finger up and down Chihiro's forearm.

"It's beautiful," he said. "It's got the best gardens, we have a private garden to ourselves – you'd love it there. I sit out and read books in the sun sometimes. Everything is white, and that's annoying because it stains so easily. Things are very clean and proper – everything is cleaned at least once a day, or straightened out, or polished. It's nice but it's not home – it's not the Bathhouse."

"I miss the Bathhouse," she replied in a whisper.

"I stopped by before coming here," he said. "Everything is going well. You should see Aeala."

"She would be so big by now."

"Almost a year old. She can crawl and walk, she's got hardly any fur left – she looks just like a human baby."

Chihiro smiled and settled into his side.

"We'll go back there one day," she replied. "We'll have our family and be happy."

"One day," Haku nodded, though a churning in his stomach told him not to promise such things.

"How much longer…?"

Haku sucked in a sharp breath. "Can you give me one month?" He felt Chihiro nod against his skin, but she didn't say anything.

For a long time, they just sat in silence. Haku was only glad to feel Chihiro by his side. Her skin was so smooth and her scent was so sweet – how could he have forgotten it? How could he have thought they would have been better off apart? It had been a mistake, and now he knew it. True, he was a river god, but they made mistakes as well, didn't they? Haku chuckled. He wished he could pass for the 'only human' saying, but alas.

"Hey Chihiro," Haku nudged his fiancée. His reply was a drowsy groan.

"Sorry," he whispered. "Did you fall asleep? You can go back, if you want. I'll wake you up before I go."

Chihiro sighed and settled into his side, wrapping an arm around his waist. "You don't mind?" she murmured. He shook his head and Chihiro closed her eyes. "I love you. If you don't come back to get me, you'll either be dead or you'll wish you were." The last thing she heard was Haku's affectionate chuckle before she drifted off to sleep.

* * *

Back at the Palace, Ayne was stalking down the hallway. Ahead, she saw a young woman dressed in a white robe similar to her own, with a high braid of auburn hair. The woman was walked leisurely, and Anne caught up with her in no time.

"Evette," growled Ayne as she grabbed the woman by the forearm. Evette whirled around. Anger flashed in her violet eyes.

"What in the world do you think you were doing last night?" seethed Ayne. "He's to be mated."

"To a human," replied Evette with a spit. "I thought I'd be a step up."

"She is your Lady," Ayne hissed. "How dare you speak of her like that – you hardly know here."

Evette shrugged and smiled smugly.

"What's to know? She's a little animal who evolved from monkeys who somehow learned to walk and talk. Why even the frogs and slugs can do that." She scoffed. "My Lord looked lonely, I was just thinking I could do the Empire a service… and one he soon wouldn't forget, either."

"You may have been a common whore when Sar'onga was around-,"

"Common whore!" Evette cried, "I have you know, my singing voice is one of the finest in all the Lands. Don't forget where your roots lie, fruit server. You're only lucky your pretty little brain does more than take up space otherwise you'd be down in the brothels and then you'd know what it would mean to be a _real_ whore."

"As I was saying," Ayne cleared her throat. "Do not make a pass at the Lord again."

"Don't worry," she replied. "He made it _excruciatingly_ clear not to breathe the air near him in the future."

Ayne smiled smugly on the inside. "See that you don't," she said then and turned on her sandal's heel to get back to much more important work.

Evette rolled her eyes as the woman turned her back to her.

"Ugly wench," Evette huffed under her breath.

"Wrinkled slut," Ayne called back as she rounded the corner back to the boardrooms, all the while grinning over her verbal victory. It was nice to see a Lord with a bit of backbone.

* * *

Thanks to those people who reviewed the last chapter. They were:

**ziggy-zee, KaMaNd114, Seraphine,Taria Robotnik, WhisperToTheWolves, MissMileyRaion, Pastache, Have a Nice Dream, LaurenvBelladonna, Superblueowl, DemonChild94, LeeshyLoo, michelle88222, litugreen, Carly, MarshMallow14,** and **Sokka2Me.**

****Hope you all enjoyed this chapter. I'd like to give you the formal details of the second cover competition.

**The Path of Water Cover Competition!**

**Get your pencils out!**

Please submit an original artistic work in any medium. Please make it visually appealing (we want people to read this!), and of Chihiro and Haku (in either from). They could be kissing, holding hands, or simply looking into each others eyes - whatever you'd like. Just make it beautiful!

For the best image quality and to avoid distortions you must submit images with a 6/9 width to height ratio with dimensions of 300(W)x450(H) or larger. Do not submit square images as they will be cropped.

Please PM me the link with your picture for the competition by:

**Wednesday the 9th of January Australian Eastern Standard Time.**

I hope you all give it a go. Winning entry will get 4 chapters of the Path of Water ahead of time (chp. 6,7,8,9), plus recognition and a place of being the cover, while the others will get chapter 6 one week early, plus recognition and a link to their work on the author's page.

Thank you all for reading and contributing to the story. I hope to see you all again next week.

Please take the time to leave a quick **review** before you go (and get drawing!)

~** Arlia'Devi.**


	4. IV: Aftermath

**The Path of Water**

By Arlia'Devi

Disclaimer: I do not own Spirited Away in any respect; all rights go to Hayao Miyazaki and associates. I make no money from this.

**The Path of Water**

**IV: Aftermath**

_"The world is a giant puzzle that hasnt been put together yet, and were trying to find the other piece of this puzzle that goes with us."  
_**~ E. E. Cummings**

There was an exciting buzz floating around the Imperial Palace. For one, their Lord had disappeared somewhere last night, only to have returned in a great mood looking refreshed. He had gotten all the day's work done by the mid-afternoon. That was worthy in its own right, since a happy Lord meant a happy empire, and all the workers inside the Imperial Palace sighed a breath of relief. They didn't like it when their Lord was stressed.

Secondly, Haku had just informed Ayne to get what needed to be organised for Chihiro's arrival and to such things be organised at once. That sent the Palace into a talkative frenzy – they'd never had a Lord who possessed a partner like he, no less a human for a partner. For once, Haku was happy to be working with such a like-minded spirit as she. He merely told Ayne of his plans and the woman nodded and seemed earnestly happy in his decision.

"I've heard so much about her," Ayne commented as smoothed over the fabric on the chaise lounge before sitting down. The Lord was reclining on the throne, a knee brought up to his chest. He'd just finished the appointments scheduled in for the day.

Haku nodded and smiled, "You'd like her."

Ayne smiled and picked at a loose strand of fabric. She wanted to say something, but did not know how – she didn't know the Lord very well, and she didn't wish to offend him –

"Say what's on your mind," he interrupted her thoughts suddenly. She looked up at him in shock.

Haku chuckled and explained, "Chihiro does the same thing – looks away and finds the most mediocre things interesting. You have something to say; I'm not going to bite your head off."

Ayne offered her lord a smile. "I did not want to say something out of place, but I worry for her… the palace has never accommodated a human woman. Some people may be put out. I think it may be dangerous for her."

Haku sucked in a shallow breath and nodded. "It's fine – I worry about the same thing." He raised his hand to the bridge of his nose, massaging it with his thumb and forefingers. "I cannot be there for her all the time. When I'm not, I ask you to be. Chihiro is an independent person, somewhat of a free spirit sometimes, but my mind would be put at ease if there was someone at least watching her."

Ayne understood and said as much.

Haku chuckled and slumped into the throne.

"It makes me feel bad to speak of her like a small child," he sighed. "I'm approaching the situation as best as I can. By the end of the month, she'll be here. I hope everyone will accept the fact by then."

Ayne shifted uncomfortably. Her eyes darted around the room, to the halls and then the balconies above that lead off to many different rooms and hallways. They were alone.

"You know who you should watch out for," she said lowly. "Don't you, my lord?"

"Few have hearing better than I," replied Haku seriously, his own emerald eyes scanning the balconies above them. He looked up to the rafters then down to the floorboards again.

Ayne frowned and looked away, a small scowl pursing her lips.

"They are pigs," she muttered bitterly.

Haku sighed and stood up, dusting off his robe. "This thing is so heavy, and it's getting warmer."

Ayne laughed and adjusted the cape around his shoulders, reaching up to her tiptoes. Her fingers brushed the ends of his hair. There were buckles to his heavy golden cape at the top of his emerald tunic, and she loosened them gently, unclipping the cape and folding it in her hands.

"You are free for the rest of the afternoon, my lord," she smiled, "What will you do?"

Haku smiled and unbuckled the top three frog clasps of his tunic and loosened the garment, revealing a light cotton undershirt. Haku smoothed over his hair and smiled.

"I don't know, really," he hummed. "Sit in the gardens and read a book. I haven't had much alone time since Chihiro left, so maybe I'll do that. I may have a nap."

Ayne laughed and gave her lord a deep bow. "Well, whatever you do, enjoy it."

Haku offered the woman an acknowledging nod. "As to you."

"Oh, I still have a lot of work to do, my lord," she shook her head as she went to leave. "_A lot_ of work to do."

The large doors closed with a hiss as the young woman left. Haku yawned, stretched and then left the throne room as well.

* * *

Yuuko gave a wary look to her daughter across the dinner table. Aiko was equally as worried, but was eating his food. Yuuko's plate remained untouched. Gently, the older woman put down her chopsticks and folded her hands at the end of the table and sighed.

"Chihiro," she said levelly.

Chihiro looked up from her plate and swallowed the piece of meat in her mouth heavily.

"You've avoided my questioning all day," she muttered.

"I haven't _avoided_ it," Chihiro corrected lamely, taking a drink of water.

"You disappeared all evening yesterday without so much as a goodnight note," Yuuko sighed. "We love you, Chihiro, and we don't want you to get hurt. I know we don't understand, but just please tell us what's going on."

Chihiro sighed and put down her chopsticks.

"It's hard to explain…"

"_Chihiro_," her mother said in a tone that made her feel much like a small child again.

"Fine," she gushed. "Haku came to me in a dream the other night. He told me to meet him buy the old train station at sunset yesterday. So I did. I wasn't thinking to leave a note or anything - my mind was frazzled. I went and saw him; he's doing well. We talked, he told me about the Palace and why he hasn't come to see me in a while. He asked for another month, and I gave it to him."

Yuuko did not seem convinced. Chihiro didn't blame her.

"And if he doesn't come?"

Chihiro shrugged. "I know it's hard, Mum, but all I have is Haku's word. If not, when the portal next opens I'm going to stalk over there and slap him in the face myself."

Aiko swallowed his dinner and wiped his mouth on the back of his hand.

"What I can't understand is why you were gone all night, Chihiro," he said sternly. Yuuko shook her head.

"I really don't want to spell it out for you, dad," Chihiro muttered nervously.

"_Aiko_," Yuuko said disapprovingly.

"Oh!" Aiko muttered and shook his head. There was a light dusting of pink across his nose and cheeks. "Sorry, I didn't even think…"

Yuuko sighed and put her head into her hands.

"Alright," she said. "You're an adult; I suppose you can make your own decisions. It wouldn't hurt to have a back-up plan. I just don't want you putting all your eggs onto the back of a relationship that might not work."

"I have a plan," Chihiro defended. "I can always just go back to University and finish my degree."

"Yes," Yuuko replied dully, gathering the plates and carrying them over to the sink. "I suppose you can."

Aiko looked at his wearied wife and then back at his young daughter and pursed his lips.

"I suppose what your mother is saying, Chihiro," he said gently. "Is that we don't want you falling to pieces if this doesn't work out. We like that man, and we know we don't understand a lot of what goes on with you two and that worries us." He chuckled awkwardly. "Sometimes we wished you were actually in Italy and picked up a nice local boy."

Chihiro gave her father a look that made him clear his throat a little guiltily.

"We like Haku, Chihiro," Yuuko said, leaning on the kitchen bench. "We do. He's a lovely man. But this is a first love, and firsts loves are wonderful and thrilling and scary all at the same time. You're engaged to be married; we understand that, but sometimes Chihiro you have to wonder if it's what's right and what is the best for you. Not both of you, but _you_." Yuuko shook her head. "I know this must be hard to hear, and it's hard to say. We… we just don't want to see you get hurt, Chihiro."

Chihiro swallowed thickly and looked at her parents. "I know things aren't going as we had planned," she said softly. "But I love him. I can't imagine ever being without him."

"But darling-,"

"Just listen a moment," she interrupted her mother. Her throat felt tight and her mouth was dry. It was painful to speak, like she was on the verge of tears but she wouldn't let them spill. "When I saw Haku for the first time, there was something about him. Haku's always been honest, even when everyone tried to convince me of the opposite. He's never deceived me. He helped me and he helped you, so please, if not for me, but out of respect of everything Haku has done for us, can you please trust him on this?"

Yuuko sighed and eventually nodded, looking toward her husband. "I trust you to make the right decision, Chihiro."

"We just want you to be safe," Aiko added.

Yuuko rolled her shoulders then and rubbed her eye. Yawning, she said, "It's been a long night; I'm going to have a bath then I'm going to bed."

* * *

While everything else was happening, in another part of the Eastern Lands, was a large bathhouse, in the care of a sable spirit named Rin. The bathhouse had become increasingly popular in the months since the young dragon had become the new Lord of the Eastern Lands, and Rin hated every moment of it. They'd gone from welcoming around two million spirits a month, to twice that in less than six weeks. It was busier than ever, and there never seemed to be enough staff, or enough stock to last them.

Rin was about to tear her hair out at a couple of know-it-all spirits from the city, when a heavy hand was placed on her shoulder.

"I'll handle it," said Chase with a tight smile.

"Thank you," Rin sighed, wiping the sweat off her brow. Behind her, Hotaru was already explaining the lack of accommodation they already had, and to seek a room elsewhere – there were many other bathhouses around, but like a lot of other spirits, they'd wanted to see the previous life of their now-famous Lord for themselves.

_It was said he stole this bathhouse away from a terrible witch who was terrorising the employees… he's a hero!_

_Wow, if you concentrate really hard, you can still smell human around here. That stench never leaves._

Rin disappeared into the escalators before anyone else could harass her and pester her about what needed to be done. It was already very late and she had a whole list of what needed to be done tomorrow. For tonight, there was a flask of sake in her quarters calling out her name.

Rin stumbled into her room and lit the lamps before rolling out the futon on the ground. Her room was still very traditional, and quite small. True, Haku had loved extravagant items and westernised décor, but she was a traditional woman in many respects. Three beautiful samurai swords were perched upon the wall as she grabbed the sake and some glasses from the chest and sat down.

She pulled off her clothes and poured herself a drink. The spring evening breeze felt good against her skin and she pulled her hair from its bun, letting it fall across her back. Gently, she combed it through with a small ornamented ivory comb. Every now and then she'd take a sip of sake, letting it run down her throat and numb her body.

Rin pulled on a loose fitting robe, tying it at the waist and sat down on her futon. In the darkness, a train whizzed past on the tracks, ringing it's bell hauntingly as it did so. That ring echoed through Rin's mind and she watched it with hard eyes, remembering the time, fifteen years ago, when she'd promised herself that one day she'd be on it.

* * *

Thanks to the people who reviewed the last chapter – we've already passed fifty reviews and that is seriously amazing!

Thank you to:

**SavvyofWacko, Knockoutbarbie, Sokka2Me, mailman28, DiamondInMyHeart, Randomsam123, TrixyJax, DemonChild94, Mindlessx, ulquihime7980, Pastache, LaurenvBelladonna, WhisperToTheWolves, WhiteTiger246, LeeshyLoo, roseskyangel, michelle88222, 18moptop, Superblueowl** and **KaMaNd114.**

I'd like to remind everyone of the cut off date for the cover competition – Wednesday 9th of January 3:00pm Australian Eastern Standard Time (one week!). Please check your times in accordance with my time zone to make sure you get your entries in time!

In regards to the cover competition, I have had expressions of interest from many great readers and I'm super excited to see all the beautiful work. Depending on the number of submissions I will hold a poll on my author's page for readers to check out work and vote for their favourite. I think this makes it fairer. Obviously, if I only receive one entry that one will be the winner!

I also have found an editor.

**MissMileyRaion** will be helping me edit the chapters from chapter 5 onwards. She has generously given up some of her free time to go through my pre-written chapters, so thank you very much!

I hope you all have a healthy and happy new year – expect big things from The Path of Water for 2013!

Please review.

~ **Arlia'Devi**


	5. V: Breaking Point

The Path of Water

By Arlia'Devi

Disclaimer: I do not own Spirited Away in any respect; all rights go to Hayao Miyazaki and associates. I make no money from this.

**The Path of Water**

**V: Breaking Point**

Where are you? Why do you hide?  
Where is that moonlight trail that leads to your side?  
Just like the moonraker goes in search of his dream of gold,  
I search for love, for someone to have and hold,  
I've seen your smile in a thousand dreams,  
Felt your touch and it always seems,  
You love me;  
You love me."

~ Moonraker, Shirley Bassey.

Two weeks had passed since Haku had rendezvoused with Chihiro at the border, and he was currently waiting on a very important appointment. He sat on the throne with his head in his hands as he went over a list of things he still needed to complete today. There was a lot.

The great golden door to the throne room opened with a hiss and a small woman snuck in, looking about with large curious eyes. A baby clung to her mother's shoulder, nuzzling the plain cotton shirt she had on. Haku looked up, smiled and put his scroll away.

"I didn't think you would make it," he said from the platform.

When Chase's eyes met Haku's, he felt a horrible shiver slide down his spine.

"You!" she hissed, stalking up to Haku without as much as a greeting. "Where the hell is Chihiro? I haven't heard squat from her – what have you done with her, dragon?"

Aeala laughed and reached out for Haku recognizing the familiar face despite her mother's anger at the man.

"She's back in the human world for the moment," he replied, letting the little kitten play with his finger until she sunk her sharp teeth into it and he pulled back with a cry. "Ow!"

"She's not the only one who will bite, Haku."

Haku smiled tightly. "I know what I am doing." he clarified. "Though things may not have turned out the way I would have liked, I'm doing the best I can. I hope for Chihiro to join me by the end of the month."

Chase huffed and said nothing. Instead, she perched Aeala onto the other hip and dug through a satchel of documents.

"She looks like you," Haku said.

"Huh?" Chase looked up at Haku, who was brushing back a bang of Aeala's golden blonde hair behind her ear affectionately. Aeala laughed and grabbed onto his hand.

"Do you know his name, baby?" Chase asked Aeala.

"Mama!" she said.

"No, my name is Mama," Chase corrected. "His," She pointed to Haku, "is Haku. Can you say that? Haku."

Aeala looked at Haku with confused green eyes. "'Aku," she gurgled and then began to laugh, reaching out for the Lord. "'Aku!"

"Close enough." Chase shrugged as Haku took her into his arms.

"That's Lord Haku to you, little one." he said, tickling Aeala's stomach, making the little girl squirm and laugh. The baby's laughter filled the throne room, echoing from the rafters. A few workers around turned at the scene, smiling as the Lord played with the small child.

"Thank you for coming." Haku said, handing Aeala back to her mother. "You're welcome to stay the night."

Chase shook her head. "Not this time, Haku – when you read the bathhouse documents, you'll realize we've been hit with a tsunami of tourists."

"Tourists?" Haku frowned.

"All wanting to visit the bathhouse their great Lord came from," Chase said, sarcasm dripping from her lips. "It's proving to be a problem, but you're richer than ever!"

Haku cracked a wry smile as he scanned over the documents briefly. True, he was raking it in financially, but he was concerned with the working hours of his employees. There were at least double the customers passing through the doors of the bathhouse since he'd left.

"Tell Rin to employ more spirits as necessary. I don't want people doing shifts longer than roistered. I don't mind more staff as long as current staff are happy."

Chase nodded, "We've employed fifty new staff members since you've left, but we're going to need at least fifty more."

Haku agreed, "See it gets done."

"Well," Chase said, hitching Aeala up on her hip. "That was all I came for. I'll catch you later Haku-"

"Wait," Haku said, cutting her off. "It's almost lunchtime; you can eat before you leave. Allow me to offer you a little hospitality, at least."

Chase was about to protest, but she saw something in her old friend's eyes that made her hesitate. She couldn't quite identify it, because Haku was a hard person to read at the best of times, but if she had to put any money on it, it would have been loneliness. Haku was lonely.

That realization hit like a bag of stones. He had not seen Chihiro in many weeks; he was more-or-less alone at the Palace. All the friends he possessed he'd made through working at the bathhouse. Had she not known how proud Haku was, she would have asked how he was blatantly, and demanded him not to sugar-coat it. However, Haku was one to keep things bottled inside, so she didn't say anything.

Instead, Chase smiled gently and said "Sure Haku, I can stay for lunch."

"Perfect," he smiled and dusted off his robe. "The kitchens are through this way."

* * *

_We just didn't want you putting all your eggs into this relationship, Chihiro…_

_What will you do if this doesn't work out? _

Yuuko's voice swirled around Chihiro's mind as she sat at her desk in her bedroom. It was a cool autumn afternoon outside, and her mother was down the street at the small local line of shops buying fresh produce.

Chihiro was staring blankly at her computer screen.

Somehow she'd found her way to the home page of her old university. The logo stared at her. It had once been a crest she'd been happy to wear with University jerseys and jumpers. Now it seemed rather bitter.

Could she go back to University? It was always an option if she had to reside in the human world permanently. She had one year of University up her sleeve – she only needed to complete another two years and she'd have something she could get a well-paying job with.

But the degree had been the reason she'd tried to badger to stay with Haku – she'd wanted more than anything to study the spirit world. It seemed so interesting, and the thought had taken possession of her long before she'd set a single foot back through the train station.

There had been a lot to learn. Though most of it had been through reading and making notes, she'd slowly transitioned from becoming a bookworm to a valued member of the bathhouse, helping where she could. She remembered the festivals, the trips to the cities and his river, and how land could be inherited and past down and the hierarchy of the political system. She'd learned enough for an entire lifetime, but as Chihiro stared at the computer screen, she had to wonder what had it been for.

If she never saw him again, wouldn't everything she did from that point on, remind her of him? Her job, whatever it was, she would always be compared to that of the spirit world. It was normal to never forget a first love, but could she ever truly shake him?

She heard her mother come through the back door and went downstairs to meet her.

"Mama," she said as Yuuko packed a carton of milk into the fridge.

"Yes, dear?"

"Do you believe in soul mates?" she asked. "Do you think there's only one perfect person for someone?"

Yuuko stopped unpacking for a moment and looked as if she was thinking it over.

"Why do you ask?"

"I'm just wondering," Chihiro sighed. "Me and Haku are going through a rough patch… rougher than before."

"I believe there are a lot of wrong people out there," she said. "Sometimes I think I didn't, but I met your father and I can't imagine being without him. I don't know if there's some sort of destiny or fate intertwined with loving someone, but I believe there is someone perfect for everyone." She smiled at her daughter. "I know what I said last night, but look at you and Haku – you're quite the opposite of each other, but you fit together well."

She nodded. "Thanks Mama."

"I saw you sitting at the computer through the window. Were you thinking?" she said, putting away the hessian bag she used for groceries under the sink.

Chihiro nodded. "I was thinking about if I go back to University, if I finish my degree – will everything remind me of Haku?"

Yuuko shot her a daughter a confused look. "What do you mean by that?"

Chihiro sighed and slumped into one of the dining room chairs. "When I wrote that postcard about studying in Italy, it wasn't exactly a lie. True, I wasn't in Italy, but I worked hard to bargain with Haku about letting me understand more about the spirit world, because I thought it would benefit my degree in a sort of personal way. Now I'm just worried since I tied the two together, I can't do one without thinking about the other."

Yuuko gave a little shrug of her shoulders. "You're probably right," she replied.

"What if I can't finish the degree without thinking about him?"

"No one ever said it would be easy, Chihiro," her mother said flatly. "Breaking up is hard, but if he was meant for you, it will work itself out."

Chihiro shook her head. "I've never had a problem trusting his word before… what's wrong with me?"

Yuuko didn't answer, instead she walked up to her daughter and said, "Are you sure the real reason you stayed in the spirit world was to study it? I'm sure there was something a lot more interesting than books there."

Chihiro looked to her mother, who smiled cheekily down at her daughter.

"You're in love." she clarified. "It's normal to be like this. He'll come back for you and if he doesn't," she shrugged. "You said it yourself - you'll go over there yourself and sort things out."

Chihiro nodded and smiled. "I'm being silly overthinking all this."

"Maybe," Yuuko replied, going out the back to slip on a pair of gumboots. "Maybe not" She called. "Hey Chihiro – do you mind coming out to help me turn over some soil – there's rain rolling in off the mountains coming straight for us, and I'd like it to sink into the garden."

* * *

An hour later, Chihiro planted the shovel deep into the soil and looked up into the purple sky.

"Looks like rain, Mama," she called to her mother. Yuuko also looked to the sky, taking off her hat and hummed unappreciatively.

"I thought it was supposed to roll in tonight," she said, feeling the first few drops hit against her cheeks. She looked at the garden. "Oh well, that's enough for today, Chihiro – let's go inside and start dinner."

"Fine with me," Chihiro said, grabbing her mother's shovel and storing it away in the garden shed. She pulled off her dirty gloves and retreated inside as the downpour began. Thunder rolled in the distance.

Rain pelted down on the kitchen window as Yuuko stood at the benches cutting up chicken for dinner. She sighed and looked out the window at the heavy skies. Chihiro wandered down from upstairs, towelling her hair dry and took out a can of soft drink from the fridge.

"It doesn't seem to be letting up," Yuuko said, pushing the diced chicken into a wok. "I'm only glad I didn't water the garden today. That would have been a waste of water."

The back door suddenly opened and Aiko trudged in, his briefcase shielding his head and neck from the rain, though his broad shoulders were soaked through.

"It's pouring down!" Aiko chuckled, shaking off the water and leaving his shoes by the door. "It's really cold out there – I'm going for a shower."

"Put your clothes in the dirty washing basket," Yuuko called. "I'll do them tomorrow."

Chihiro sighed and sat down on the dining table, flicking through a magazine. It was not long before her father joined her, and then dinner was served, cleaned up and the three of them got ready for bed. The rain was still falling, and every now and then there was a flash in the sky and a rumble of thunder as it slowly approached over the hills to the north.

"Goodnight." Yuuko yawned as Chihiro brushed her teeth. She gave her mother an acknowledging nod before spitting.

Chihiro rolled back the covers and flicked on the lamp, taking up a half-finished book. Reading fifty pages, it was well into the night when Chihiro finally decided to settle down. Flicking off her lamp, it was soothing to listen to the rain outside as she drifted off to sleep.

That was until the lightning cracked at what sounded just outside her window. Chihiro bolted up in her bed with her eyes wide. She felt like she hadn't even fallen asleep yet. The clock that read two a.m. disagreed with her and Chihiro flopped back down onto the mattress as a window-shaking rumble of thunder tore through the house.

"Keep it down out there." she grumbled and turned over, pulling her pillow to her chest and watching the lightning flash through the light lace curtains.

Chihiro had almost fallen asleep again when she heard something at her window. It sounded like a scratch, like a bird's beak or something, but there was a looming shadow over the window.

Her heart jumping into her throat, Chihiro stumbled to grab whatever she could as a weapon – a nearby hairbrush - and flicked on the lamp just as the concave window unhinged and flew open.

"Get the fuck out," she hissed, trying not to disturb her parents. "Whoever you are!"

The rain pelted through the window and the man stood up straight, smoothing back his long hair. Chihiro blinked, her vision a little distorted from sleep.

"Raijin!" she cried, leaping to her knees on the bed. Before her stood a very wet lightning god.

The god smiled and looked at the hairbrush in her hand, wielded as a weapon. "Were you planning on hurting me with that?" he demanded jestingly. Chihiro looked at the brush in her hand and dropped it.

"Can't you use the door like a normal person?" she hissed and moved to close the window, lest the rain wet her carpet. "What are you doing here, anyway? Did Haku send you?"

Raijin huffed and sat down on the mattress. Chihiro pushed back a squeak of disapproval – he was sopping wet.

"No 'hello, how's it been' for me, Chihiro?" he pouted in mock hurt.

Chihiro crossed her arms over her chest. "You broke through my window!"

"You didn't even have the decency to unlock it," he sighed, shaking his head. He picked up the discarded hairbrush and began working it through his long white locks. "Anyway, how ya been?"

"Fine," Chihiro grunted, grabbing her towel and dabbing the shoulders of the god dry. "Not that you would know – why didn't you come find me a month ago?"

"I heard you," he admitted with a sheepish smile. His face looked strange in the lamp-light, and his blue irises seemed haunting – creepier than usual. Raijin was a handsome man, in the kind of way he was so beautiful it made him quite scary. He was wearing a long light blue robe made of thick material with silky hemlines. Underneath that he had thick cotton kosodes. He was drenched to the bone, but Chihiro had a feeling the thunder god didn't care.

He took Chihiro's hand as she dropped the towel on a chair. His fingers were icy and his eyes held guilt.

"I'm sorry I didn't come down… You seemed upset, but I-," he shook his head. "I didn't want to put my nose in where it didn't belong."

Chihiro shook her head and smiled. "It's alright, Raijin, I understand. I was going through a tough time at that moment. I hadn't seen Haku in weeks, I had no idea if he was dead or alive. I suppose I went a little crazy for a second there." She stole her hand back, if only to let it warm up again. "But what are you doing here now?"

He smiled sheepishly. "I heard through the grapevine you'd seen Haku, and I did feel guilty so I wanted to visit you. It so happened there was a thunderstorm about to ride through this area and I decided to go with it. There's a few coming up in the next few weeks – you don't mind if I pop in, do you?"

Chihiro smiled and shook her head. "Not at all. If you give me a little notice, I could make you something to eat."

"I'll pass," he politely declined. "Human food is… err… intolerable." He motioned around his stomach. "I'm intolerant, I mean… It's all to do with the digestive tract, Chihiro."

"You can just say you don't like human food," she deadpanned. "I won't be offended."

Raijin laughed. "I hate the foul stuff!"

Chihiro laughed and a silence fell. "You can come back whenever you want. I don't mind. It might be nice to have someone to talk to… ever since I went to the spirit world, I don't have that many friends around…" she sucked in a breath and looked around the room.

"You look well." He said gently. "I'll be happy to come around, Haku would probably like me to keep an eye on you, anyway. He worries about you."

"I worry about him." She returned as Raijin rose. He stretched and made his way to the window, unlatching it. "Tell him that you visited me when you see him next, will you? Tell him that I miss him."

Raijin nodded and stepped out in the rain. "I will." he vowed.

"Thanks Raijin."

The god hovered in mid-air for a moment. His halberd appeared in his hand, its peaks projecting lightning into the midnight sky.

Raijin smiled, "I always thought you were scared of thunderstorms, little human?"

Chihiro grinned back, leaning into the rain to grab the handles of her windows. "I am," she replied, pulling the window shut. "Now get out of here so I can get to sleep."

Raijin scoffed in mock offence as Chihiro closed the translucent curtains. He watched her form go back to her bed and slip under the covers before waving to him and turning off the light. Raijin shook his head and, with a chuckle, flew off, taking his storm clouds with him.

* * *

Thank you to all those people who reviewed the last chapter… they were:

**Mimcee, KisaTiger12, Knockoutbarbie, ulquihime7980, DemonChild94, LaurenvBelladonna, KaMaNd114, michelle88222, LeeshyLoo, Sokka2Me** and **WhisperToTheWolves.**

I'd like to officially welcome my editor, **MissMileyRaion** on board, since this was the first chapter she edited. Thanks for the great job!

Also, I'd like to announce the winner of the Cover Competition... **LeeshyLoo**who submitted the cover you see now. For a larger version, visit her devaintart page through a link on my profile. Show her some love!

Also, this may be the last update for quite a few weeks as I'm going away and will not have regular internet access (I don't think...). Sorry about that, but alas, beach holiday beckons me. I should be able to write some more chapters towards my fanfiction while I'm away, however.

Please take the time to leave a quick review before you go!

~ **Arlia'Devi.**


	6. VI: Burning

The Path of Water

By Arlia'Devi

Disclaimer: I do not own Spirited Away in any respect; all rights go to Hayao Miyazaki and associates. I make no money from this.

**The Path of Water**

**VI: Burning**

Chihiro didn't inform her parents of her late night visitor and her doona cover had dried off by morning. It was nice to at least know she hadn't been forgotten in the spirit world. Things moved so fast over there sometimes, she wouldn't be surprised to have been overlooked now and then. Lord knew it had taken Haku ten years and that had only been through a handful of events and divine intervention. Her grandmother had also pushed the cart in the right direction with that one.

_But are we going the right direction now?_ Chihiro had to wonder as she ate her cereal. The house was empty again. Everyone was at work and she faced another day of terrible boredom.

She'd taken up reading and made what had become a pilgrimage to the local library. Although it wasn't extensive, she'd read a few good books and had even ordered a few off the internet for Haku when she went back. The small pile included Journey to the Centre of the Earth, Tarzan of the Apes, Pride and Prejudice and a scatter of other smaller books she'd come across cheap in the local hand-me-down shop. He'd like Hemmingway, she knew he would, but she wasn't so sure on "Star Wars", so she'd only purchased the first book for a yen, though the hand-me-down shop had the first three.

Chihiro sighed and flicked through morning television, catching the end of a morning newscast before heading upstairs and getting changed for the day. It was a cool morning so she grabbed a jumper before riding down to the shops and grabbing a loaf of bread, the newspaper and a liter of milk. She dropped into her father's car dealership with the paper before going back home.

That was her routine for the next two weeks - a mind-numbing two weeks. She did the same thing day-in and day-out. In those two weeks, it had rained three times – twice at night. When it rained at night, it normally turned into quite a fierce thunderstorm and Raijin would visit her in the dead of night. She'd leave her window unlocked and she'd wait up into the early hours just for a visit. He never stayed for very long, half an hour at maximum but it was still nice to see him.

"I went and saw Haku," he had said not a week ago.

"Haku?" Chihiro jumped up, her eyes bright and her tone eager. "How is he?"

"Busy," Raijin admitted. "But the palace seems to be comfortable with you now – at least the thought of you living there. Haku was right. He made the announcement and then let it fizzle."

"I wonder how different it's going to be," Chihiro murmured, tracing the patterns on her doona cover. "Then living at the bathhouse."

"A lot, I'd say," Raijin sighed and reclined back, looking at the ceiling. "The palace is a lot more dangerous than the bathhouse. At the bathhouse you could have lived a life with very few people knowing about it. You're in the public eye at the Palace. You're all anyone will be talking about."

"Great," Chihiro muttered. "I didn't sign up to be a celebrity."

"You signed up for Haku," corrected the thunder god. "When you accepted his proposal, you signed up for this. You weren't foolish enough to think Haku may never have become the Lord, did you?"

"Well, no," Chihiro tried to clarify. "But he made it seem like it was quite a long way off… That I'd probably be dead by then." She cringed at her wording, though it was the truth.

"That was true, I suppose," he considered for a moment. He looked at Chihiro for a moment and smiled. The sincere gesture looked a little strange with his light eyes. "Humans have such short lifespans, it's so strange. I'd give up the life of one thousand scumbag spirits just to let you outlive Haku, Chihiro."

Chihiro's eyes fell to the mattress, embarrassed. She hardly ever talked about her mortality with Haku because it only seemed to depress each other. That didn't mean they hadn't, but it seemed that they'd said everything that could be said on the topic – in sixty years, she was going to die. There was no alternative, that was life and they'd both accepted it.

"If you were given immortality, would you accept it?"

Chihiro scoffed, "What sort of question is that?"

"A valid one, considering you are going to mate a being that's going to live for tens of thousands of years longer than you."

Chihiro was silent for a moment. "I don't know. I thought I was going to say 'no', until you said it like that."

Raijin smiled tightly. "He loves you."

"I love him."

"I can see why."

Chihiro laughed and shook her head. "He told me to stay away from you. He said you were a troublemaker."

Raijin offered a cheeky smile. "He was probably right in saying that."

There was a short silence between the two for a moment. Chihiro went to ask him something – something about Rin, but the thunder god suddenly got to his feet as if he had anticipated the subject

change. Where his rear had been seated was a large wet patch. Next time he'd sit on the wooden computer chair, Chihiro decided.

"I should get going," he said, looking to the clock. "It's late."

Chihiro nodded from the bed.

"I'll visit again," he said. "Maybe next week. I can't keep making every passing shower a thunderstorm. India's been due for one for about a week now," he chuckled lightly.

"Raijin?" Chihiro asked, her voice cutting through the empty room.

"Yes?"

She rose to her feet and met him by the window.

"How do you visit me? In the human world, I mean. Haku can't come through, not all the way anyway. Why can you?"

He chuckled. "I suppose there are just some things that dragon can't do that I can."

"Truthfully." Chihiro insisted.

Raijin laughed. A large crack of lightning vibrated as he did so. "Look outside," he motioned to the grey dreary night with the flashes of lightning highlighting the soaked landscape before them. "Thunderstorms travel everywhere. I travel with them."

Chihiro nodded. Raijin kissed her gently on the forehead.

"I'll be back." he promised gently before the windows flew open and the thunder god disappeared into the night.

* * *

"Another thunderstorm!" Aiko exclaimed that morning over breakfast. A tree had come down in the backyard and now he needed to tow it away. "This is ridiculous. The weatherman said it would be a light shower."

"There must be something circulating higher up," Yuuko tried to soothe her husband. "Weathermen aren't always right you know. When I worked at the broadcasting station back in the early 90s, they only had a 60% chance of predicting the right weather."

"That was fifteen years ago, Yuuko," replied Aiko. "You'd think they'd have better technology by now that would tell us that a simple shower is going to be a thunderstorm. What's next, a hurricane will be passed off as a thunderstorm? Nothing to be worried about." He huffed and flicked the newspaper open, going straight to the printed weather predictions.

"Maybe it's just a thunder god with a vendetta," Chihiro said over her cereal. "Stuff like that happens all the time in the spirit world."

"Maybe we should leave out an offering or something," Yuuko said worriedly. "I don't think my roses can take much more."

"What hogwash." Aiko huffed, ever the non-believer.

"Look out Dad," Chihiro teased. "You might make it angrier with your ignorance."

"If it was upset with me it should come down and speak with me and we'd settle it all out," he clarified. "My daughter is associated with the strongest person in that other world; he'd better know I'm not a force to be reckoned with. Why don't you speak with it then? You're good at all that."

Yuuko rolled her eyes from the sink and Chihiro laughed.

"I'll see what I can do."

Aiko sighed and closed the newspaper before grabbing his suitcase and kissing his wife on the cheek. "See you two later."

"Bye sweetheart," Yuuko smiled. "Have a good day."

"Bye Dad." Chihiro yawned, washing out her bowl in the sink before heading upstairs to shower.

* * *

Haku was sitting at his desk doing paperwork in the early afternoon. It had been one of those rare days he'd finished his work in the morning, had a leisurely long lunch and was now tying up loose ends he never found the time to tackle. Perhaps after this he'd take a bath and have a substantial dinner and then he would retire, only to do the same thing over again the following morning. Suddenly his eyes began to hurt and he groaned, reeling back in his chair to rub them and sigh.

"Lord Kohaku?" a young salamander spirit poked his head through the door ajar to Haku's office. He was only very young – a teenager, a son of one of the generals who lived within the palace gates. "Mistress Ayne wanted to see you in the Throne room – she said it was urgent."

Haku nodded and rose, putting his paperwork to the side for the moment. He trailed the boy to the Throne room, adjusting his apparel before entering. As he entered, Ayne was standing rigidly by the empty throne and shot him a look he couldn't decipher. Below was an old hermit of a man, with knobbly knees and a twisted branch of a walking stick. The young salamander spirit was at the old man's side, helping him up the staircase to the platform of the thrones. Once he staggered up, he sat on the Chaise lounge to the left of the throne and panted.

"Can I help you today, sir?" Haku asked wearily as the young man poured the elderly spirit a cup of green tea. He shot a confused look to Ayne, who said very little.

"I am worried," said the man. He took the cup of green tea in his shaking hands, most of the tea falling out of the cup and onto the saucer. "I come from down in the valley, from way out West near the border. Every year the valley floods and deposits rich top soil from the mountains. We grow vegetables there. I'm a farmer." He looked up to his lord. He had beady black eyes and his face was sagged and weathered. "You're young," he said it as if he was almost surprised. "I am almost half a millennium."

Haku frowned and knelt down to the man's level. His lips were pursed and set into a straight line. "How did you travel here?"

The old man stared into Haku's eyes with equal determination.

"You are very young," he murmured, studying his Lord's face. "The road is long and hard. My feet are very sore."

Ayne moved forward to touch Haku's shoulder. "He says his name is Abubakar. He comes from a village that harvests corn along the Western border."

"Aye," said Abubakar. The young salamander boy took the teacup from the man's hand as it shook in his grip. He had lost interest in it anyway; Abubakar was more absorbed in studying this new lord. "My village may not be like this here city, but we are well off. We get by. Out in the valleys, we don't think about the land the way you city people do – there's no border between villages of the East and West. We are all the same."

"I had known you trade freely for many centuries," Haku said, sitting in the throne. "It was healthy and the Lord before me often met with Rami-tarng, of the Western Lands for how trade between our nations may become better. Rami-tarng died almost a year ago – what has made you seek me out."

"The sky lights up like it's on fire."

"On fire?" muttered Ayne.

Abubakar nodded. He looked to his knobbed knees and massaged his hands. "Around three months ago the villages over the border stopped trading with the Eastern villages in the valley. I heard up the river, to the north, some of the villagers have seen soldiers on the road along the border – not in the Eastern Lands, but along it."

"Troubling." Haku muttered.

"There's more," Abubakar muffled, smoothing over his white hair behind his ear. He coughed before continuing. "There is a village close to me, across the border. Many of my sons and daughters have married their lovers across the valley, but they all came back one morning – them, and all my little grandchildren, all my little ones. They all came back to the village afraid. They said armed samurai and soldiers were living in their homes – that they were living all along the border, and their storage sheds kept weapons instead of sake and miso." Abubakar shook his head. "I've heard further up north the night sky turns red, like it's on fire. I've been told they set crops on fire – the embers from their village

fires, they make them so high it travels in the wind and settles in the farming village. Sometimes when I'm sleeping, I smell the burning. I am afraid for our villages, my lord. I knew if I did not venture to tell you, you might not realize until it's too late."

Haku looked to Ayne. "What do we know of the villages by the border?"

Ayne shrugged and looked around the room a little. "Nothing, really – there are many villages in that area. It's a popular farming area. The villagers of the East and West are said to peacefully trade goods between each other since the respective trade lines can be quite poor in that area."

The large doors to the Throne room opened then and Senekular slipped in. He surveyed the scene before him for a moment before bowing before his lord and approaching the pedestal.

"Senekular, what do you know of the Eastern villages near the Western Border?"

Senekular looked to the old man and gave a little shrug. "Very little, my lord. I do know Lord Sar'onga spoke with Lord Rami-tarng about the exchanges between the villages. They've always been on peaceful terms."

Haku grunted and frowned. "It seems there is an army gathering along the Westerner's border."

"Oh dear," muttered Senekular. He looked to Ayne who didn't give him a smile. "That doesn't sound promising at all."

"Not with all the rumors coming out of the Western Lands, also," Haku sighed and rubbed his face with his hands. "And here I was only hoping it was a little uneasiness settling into a new Lord. I can't have soldiers destroying our crops. I'll have to take action. I'll write to the Lord immediately, and if he does not reply within seven days, I'll make a personal visit."

"Good idea, my Lord," Senekular said.

Ayne went to Abubakar and helped him to his feet. "Come with me. We'll get you settled in for the night."

"Ayne." Haku turned to the young woman helping Abubakar to the guest rooms.

"Yes, my lord?"

"See he gets a carriage back to the Eastern village he is from. And a month's supply of rice for his village for the troubles."

Abubakar looked at his Lord in shock. That was a lot of rice. "Thank you, my lord," he grinned toothlessly, humbled by the generosity. "Thank you."

Haku nodded. "See that you write to me immediately should the situation escalate." Then, Haku left the Throne room with Senekular tailing closely behind him.

* * *

Three days since that affair in the spirit world, Chihiro was getting ready for bed when she decided to open the bay-view windows and look into the night. It was cold, coming into winter, but there was not a cloud in the sky. The moon was full tonight.

Chihiro sighed and closed the door, flipping the clasp over. She hadn't seen Raijin in almost a week, and she thought he would have been due for a visit. Honestly, things got lonely around her home and the visit from Raijin was the only thing she looked forward to while in this place of limbo – was she going back to the spirit world? Would Haku forget about her? Sometimes talking to Raijin gave her a little confidence that she wasn't just some scummy human in a god's eyes.

With a sigh, Chihiro drew back the covers of her bed and slipped in. Soon, she was deep asleep.

* * *

Sorry about the briefness of this author's note, but my time with internet is limited and there is still much shopping to be done! Although this week I won't be thanking every reviewer by name on account of my limited time, please be assured that I want to thank every one of you who continue to come back and want to hand out a very special thank you to those who take the time to review. Also, thanks to everyone who checked out LeeshyLoo's work and commented on it! I'm sure she appreciated the love. :)

On a positive note, I've written a bunch load while I've been away!

Watch for an update this time next week! The best way to keep up to date on this story is to 'follow' it, so make sure you do!

Please take a moment to leave a **review**before you go!

~** Arlia'Devi**


	7. VII: Trust

The Path of Water

By Arlia'Devi

Disclaimer: I do not own Spirited Away in any respect; all rights go to Hayao Miyazaki and associates. I make no money from this.

**The Path of Water**

**VII: Trust**

_"All the world is made of faith, and trust, and pixie dust." _**  
~ J.M. Barrie,** _Peter Pan_**  
**

The blue weatherboard house was nestled on the side of a hill, against a large sweeping forest. It was quite up on the hillside, and the night was cool and calm. The midnight sky was cloudless and there was a half-moon hanging in the sky. Inside the blue house, Chihiro slept soundly in her sheets. The lace curtains filtered through the small light reflected from the moon in silver streams onto the queen bed's doona cover.

She was dreaming, and it was a pleasant dream. It was a sunny spring afternoon, almost getting into summer and she and Haku were sitting in the shade of a gazebo. There was a refreshing lemon drink in a pitcher in front of them and they were speaking of wedding plans. Chihiro wasn't sure what they were talking about, really, only that it made them both laugh and she thought how beautiful it was to see the sun shine off Haku's smile. She wondered how long it had been since she'd seen him smile like that. He was looking down at something she couldn't see and laughing at it. Chihiro smiled and leaned over the table to see what he was making a fuss about. A baby was settled in his lap and grinned up at Chihiro, its chubby arms flailing at her to be picked up.

"Mama!"

Chihiro awoke to a start at half past two in the morning. The sky was swirling with heavy grey clouds, only seen when it lit up with lightning. She stumbled out of bed, shocked as a roll of thunder shook the window frames and walls. With eyes still bleary with sleep, she stumbled down the stairs to retrieve a glass of water and to go to the toilet.

Coming back, Chihiro settled back into bed with a yawn. She was about to pull over the covers and roll over when suddenly her bay view window burst open to reveal a sopping wet thunder god.

"What the hell!" Chihiro hissed, pulling a robe around her body. "Are you insane, Raijin?"

The thunder god shook his head. Instead of its usually spiky style, his white hair fell poker-straight down his body.

"We have to go," he said roughly, making a snatch for Chihiro's arm. "It's not safe for you here!"

"Not safe for me here?" Chihiro frowned. "What do you mean?"

"We have to go!" he made another grab for Chihiro's arm and snagged her wrist in his grip. Chihiro dug her heels into the carpet.

"I can't go – what about my parents? You said it was dangerous here, I can't just leave them!"

"We don't have the time!" Raijin snapped. "You have to come with me now, Chihiro. If you stay here any longer, you won't have a chance."

She hesitated and had managed to get her hand free of Raijin's. Desperately she looked around the room. What would her parents think in the morning? Would she have enough time to write them a letter explaining? Could she ask him for that? She looked into his eyes. The eyes that had seemed once hauntingly beautiful began to scare her – something was wrong within them. They seemed hot and hard, like Haku's eyes had when he'd been injured. He looked like a wild animal.

"I don't want to go with you, Raijin." Chihiro found her voice hidden deep within her throat. "Please leave gp now."

"Haku told me to come and get you," Raijin barked, moving forward. Chihiro stepped back. "You don't understand how much the spirit world has changed since you left – he told me to come and get you, to bring you to him. That's what you want, isn't it?"

Chihiro nodded. It was what she wanted; more than anything.

"Yes," she said. "But I trust Haku. He will come to get me. Is everything alright, Raijin? You look tired."

The god shook his head. Chihiro's hands shook by her sides and her mind was racing at a million miles an hour. Every fiber in her body was telling her to run away as fast as she could but she kept a small smile on his face. Raijin looked at his own hands then. Rain was dripping from his body onto the carpet.

"Raijin," Chihiro said gently, touching the god's shoulder for a moment. "What's the matter with you?"

"I don't know…" he muttered. His hands were shaking. "I don't know."

"Raijin," she tried to keep her voice steady as she lead the god to the chair near her desk. "Why don't you sit down? I'll get you a glass of water; I think there's something wrong wi-,"

"Chihiro!" a voice called from behind Raijin, cutting through the room like a knife. The thunder god spun around suddenly and lunged for the man hanging on the window pane, both of them leaping into the night sky. A flash of lightning appeared as Raijin grabbed his halberd, extending from the pole into the swirling black clouds above him.

In front of Raijin, with fangs bared and large, sharp claws extracted from its paws, it was a caramel bakeneko – a giant demon cat. Around its body, a white mist enveloped it. A deep guttural growl ripped through its throat and into the night air. The cat then reeled back to pounce. Chihiro ran to the window, her eyes watching with horror at the scene before her as the bakeneko lunged at Raijin and a flash of lightning filled the grey sky.

"Stop!" she cried, though her pleas were drowned out by a clap of thunder.

The bakeneko attacked Raijin, but the thunder god easily dodged its pounce. Instead, Raijin swiped it with his halberd. The bakeneko swiveled quickly, dodging the swipe of the jagged points before hissing at its opponent.

Chihiro ran into her room and turned on the light. Quickly she packed her clothes up into the small bag she'd brought from the spirit world – clothes, books, and belongings, anything she could find with a hurried mind. Then, with deft hands she quickly scribbled a note.

_Mama & Dad,_

_I'm sorry. Something has come up… I don't know how to explain it. I'll write to you as soon as I can. I've gone back to the spirit world. Please don't worry about me. I'm so sorry._

_~ Chihiro._

Chihiro slipped on her runners before hurrying down the stairs. Outside it was raining heavily, and the wind was billowing against her as she sprinted down the side of the hill, watching the battle overhead. She could hear the snarls of the bakeneko.

"Chase!" She called into the night air, cowering under the protection of an old pine tree that lined the forest. She had to run – she had to get out of here. Suddenly the bakeneko dived down into to the trees and the shelter the forest would give her. Raijin roared and made a swift grab for Chihiro, but the woman darted deeper into the forest.

Thunder rolled around in the sky, violent and loud as Chihiro ran forward with blurry eyes. The muddy soil fell away under her feet and the branches of trees tore at her skin and skimpy pajama clothes. The night was cold, and with drenched silk, Chihiro knew she would have felt the freeze if it wasn't for how hot her body was on adrenaline at that moment.

She had thought she was going the right direction towards the old train station, but it felt like she'd ran a marathon and she had no idea how long she'd been running. She stopped against a thick trunk and panted, her lungs drawing in much needed oxygen. As oxygen reached her brain and the adrenaline abated, Chihiro began to think clearer. She didn't know where she was, but at least with that idea, Raijin didn't know where she was either. It had stopped raining heavily and the thunder had abated. It was only drizzling and dripping off the leaves of the tall trees to fall to the ground.

Gingerly, Chihiro began walking through the forest. It was dark and she instantly regretted not thinking to grab a torch on the way out of the house. Now it was too late to go back, and she wasn't even sure what direction it was in.

Something rustled in the foliage near her and Chihiro scrambled to grab a weapon – a large stick. She felt foolish, blinded by the dark and holding a half-rotted branch on pine in her hands to stave off thunder gods and whatever else lurked in this forest.

"Chihiro." chuckled a deep male voice from the darkness.

Still riding out the adrenaline kick, Chihiro let out a scream and hurled the piece of wood down onto what she hoped was someone's head. The strike stopped suddenly and the wood piece was broken in two.

Hotaru dropped the other half of the branch to the floor and grinned.

"You shouldn't be waving that around, you'll hurt yourself." He straightened up and pushed his wet, dirty blonde hair from his eyes and grinned. "How have you been?"

Chihiro blubbered for a moment, studying his features through the darkness before falling forward and embracing the bakeneko man in a tight hug.

"Stupid woman," he muttered affectionately. "You're soaked. Let's get you cleaned up before Haku beheads me for getting you sick. Come on," he tugged gently on her arm. "The portal's through this way."

Chihiro hesitated for a moment. "But… Raijin."

Hotaru looked through the canopy to the clearing sky. "It seems he's gone now."

"I'm worried for him – he wasn't acting like himself, I think something is seriously wrong with him. Why would he attack you like that? I thought he was a friend." Chihiro said as Hotaru lead her through the forest.

"Things have changed since you left, Chihiro," replied the bakeneko. "For a long time, they stayed the same, then Haku found out about something near the Western Lands and everyone's been on edge since then. That's why I'm here – Haku's worried about you, it's come to a point where you'll be safer with him than here."

Chihiro dug her heels into the forest floor then for a moment, halting their actions.

"But my parents!" she protested.

Hotaru nodded. "Haku said he thought you would say that – he told me to tell you that they are being taken care of and not to worry. Come on, we don't have much time. It's way past midnight already; we have to get there before sunrise."

Chihiro looked to the skies. They were beginning to colour. She had one million questions to ask Hotaru, but at that moment she chose to keep them to herself. They pushed forward towards the old train station.

* * *

When Chihiro woke up, she immediately registered how sore her back was and how brightness of the room. She groaned and rolled over, opening her eyes to glare outside. The window was open, the sliding shoji door and she saw a long grey landscape with a single train-track cutting through its middle. The sky was clear and a few gulls were flying overhead, squawking.

"Glad to see your awake," a chirpy voice hit Chihiro's ears. She rolled over to see Chase kneeling beside her with a small bowl of cold water and a cloth. Delicately she dabbed at a stinging wound on Chihiro's cheek, then to her forehead.

"It wasn't a dream?" Chihiro whispered.

Chase smiled tightly. "I'm afraid not."

"Am I at the bathhouse? Is Haku here?"

Chase shook her head. "We're at the bathhouse, but Haku's not here. He lives at the Imperial Palace, remember? Don't worry, you'll see him soon."

"How soon?" Chihiro croaked out.

Chase laughed. From the back of the room, someone snorted.

"It's always the same, Chase," Rin teased, emerging from the shadows of the room. She had her arms crossed over her chest and was staring down at Chihiro with a smirk on her face. "Always looking out for Haku with total disregard for her own health and safety. It didn't change when she was ten and it hasn't changed now!"

Chase laughed and wrung out the cloth into the small bowl.

"It's nice to see you too, Rin." Chihiro groaned and moved to sit up. The room was small and barely furnished. She was lying on a futon and the shoji doors to the balcony were open wide letting in a light spring breeze. "Why do I hurt so much?"

Rin knelt down and smoothed her hand down a few bandages down Chihiro's arm.

"Hotaru said you were pretty knocked about. Your muscles are sore from running and you cut yourself on some branches," the sable spirit shook her head. "He fought against Raijin and still came out in better shape than you."

Chihiro grinned and looked to Chase. "He's alright then?"

Chase nodded and smiled. "He's still sleeping – travelling between worlds is exhausting, but he'll be fine."

Chihiro shook her head and studied the pattern of the futon cover. She was still dead-tired, but she forced herself to stay awake for the time being. There were still so many questions…

"Why Hotaru?"

Chase shrugged a little. "I don't know. Haku said he'd been doing a bit of digging around and had found out some things. I'm not too sure what they were, but Hotaru suddenly said he needed to get you – it was becoming dangerous."

"Raijin," Chihiro jumped in. "There's something the matter with him – he isn't himself."

Chase looked to Rin, who averted her gaze.

Chihiro insisted. "Has he been through the bathhouse recently?"

Rin shook her head. "Not for two or three weeks."

Chase looked wary for a moment and shot Rin a look Chihiro didn't understand. "Had he been visiting you?"

Chihiro nodded. "Once a week for a few weeks - I've seen him at least three or four times. Last night he told me to go with him. There was something wrong with him. His eyes looked like he was a feral animal. His body was shaking."

Rin nodded and then rose to her feet with an unreadable expression. She turned to Chase and said she was going to give Haku a call with the information and then left. Chihiro was about to say something until her stomach rumbled loudly.

Chase laughed and shook her head. "Wait here," she instructed. "I can answer your questions over some lunch."

* * *

So Chihiro is back in the spirit world. I had a few reviews telling me to hurry it along because they were missing Haku and don't worry, I remember writing this thinking "hurry up and write this bit so you can go back to writing about Chihiro and Haku together!". Thanks to those people who reviewed the last chapter,

**LeeshyLoo , michelle88222, Raijin's so nice :D _ CONTINUE!, Sokka2Me, doglover500, ziggyzee, chaseyy, LaurenvBelladonna, ulquihime7980, WhisperToTheWolves, DemonChild94, Watermelon23, Avalons' Wish, Alexandria Keating, GangstaSummoner, litugreen, Have a Nice Dream** and** Knockoutbarbie**

If anyone does not know what a halberd is, it is a three-pronged weapon, like a triton. It's defined by Wikipedia as an axe/staff like weapon grasped with two hands, but Raijin's has a large sword in the middle and two smaller ones either side, rather representative of a triton, but halberd sounds better.

Thank you so much for reading and reviewing and please take the time to leave a comment before you go!

~ **Arlia'Devi**


	8. VIII: The Reunion

The Path of Water

By Arlia'Devi

Disclaimer: I do not own Spirited Away in any respect; all rights go to Hayao Miyazaki and associates. I make no money from this.

A/N: this chapter's a little scandalous! You'll see why.

**The Path of Water**

**VIII: The Reunion**

_"I always felt that the great high privilege, relief and comfort of friendship was that one had to explain nothing."_  
~ **Katherine Mansfield**

Chihiro was staring out the window from her futon, trying not to think about too much. She found she was getting nowhere overthinking things as she was doing, since she'd never come to a conclusion or answer with her own formulation. Outside, it was calm and blissfully breezy – a complete opposite from Chihiro's inner turmoil. It was like her mind was a violent ocean of thoughts. She was worrying about her parents and her childhood home – if Raijin had found them… didn't it mean they were in danger? She should never have left them.

And then there was Raijin to think about. Haku had tried to keep him away from her for personal reasons. Raijin was the carefree bachelor, always looking for a good time wherever he could and into minding getting into a little mischief. Haku, in recent decades had become quite the opposite. Despite being younger than Raijin, Haku had sunken comfortably into a settled down life.

But thinking about it didn't get anywhere and she told herself it was foolish, but all Chihiro could do was think. Think and wait. She was sitting up on the futon now, feeling considerably better but her stomach was grumbling and churning from hunger. A moment later, she heard the screen door slide open and a delicious scent waft in the small room.

"Hey," Chase grinned, setting down a large tray of food. "How are you feeling?"

"Starved." Chihiro eyed the food. "Can I dig in?"

Chase laughed and sat down on the floorboards, watching Chihiro pick up a dish and a pair of chopsticks before beginning to eat enthusiastically. "Sure."

Chase poured herself and Chihiro a cup of tea and took a few sips before she began to speak.

"This rooms a little small, but it's breezy." she commented absentmindedly. "It's not permanent or anything…"

"For the smell," Chihiro corrected. "You don't have to be polite, Chase."

Chase shook her head. "It doesn't bother me, Chihiro, really it doesn't – it's just the guests aren't as… nice as we are. They're quite blatant and discriminate."

"It's always been like that," Chihiro shrugged. "Some spirits smell as well – even worse than me I bet. When I worked here, a giant stink spirit came in -,"

"I know," Chase laughed. "I was there, and you're right about that. Who knew that spirit would have been a great river god. Kind of like your other half there, but much, much older."

Chihiro nodded and yawned, rubbing her eyes. "Wow, I'm tired – how long have I been asleep?"

"Around a day. You weren't too good when you came back to the bathhouse…"

Chihiro nodded. "I felt horrible – dizzy and like I was about to throw up."

There was a knock at the door suddenly before it slid open. Hotaru walked in, dressed in a crisp white silk robe and a young infant with golden bangs that fell around her eyes. Aeala saw her Mama and reached out for her, squirming from his father's grasp to crawl along the floor to her mother's arms.

"Wow," Chihiro shook her head. Aeala looked just like a human infant. "She's grown so much."

"You've been gone two months," Chase corrected, hauling her baby to sit on her lap while she sucked on a biscuit. "She's eating solid foods now. Crawling around – creating havoc." Chihiro pulled a face at the baby, who pouted and hid her face in her mother's clothing. "Babies grow in leaps and bounds; it doesn't take long for people to notice a change."

Chihiro sighed and poured another cup of tea. She had so many questions to ask, she had so much she wanted to know and didn't know where to start. So, she thought, she would start with the simplest.

"Have you heard from Haku?"

Chase nodded and shifted her baby into a more comfortable position. "I went to visit him a few weeks ago in the high city before all this," she waved her hand in a motion to signify everything that had passed, although Chihiro wasn't sure what 'this' was, "happened. He seemed fine enough though it was evident he was very lonely. I didn't stay very long – it was just to check over things. I think Rin gave him a call last night to tell him about you, but I'm not sure…"

Chihiro got to her feet and, pulling on a light floral robe, stepped out onto the balcony. The day was sweet and cool and the sun was warm. The landscape stretched on behind the bathhouse, a flat grey wasteland that would get flooded and look like an inland sea. Somewhere out there, in a great golden city was her dragon. Alone.

"Does he ever come back?"

"The only time he visited was when he saw you." Chase replied.

Chihiro turned around, pulling the robe against her body. "Well, when can I go there?"

Chase looked nervous. "I'm not sure."

Chihiro sighed and braced herself against the railing of the balcony and closed her eyes. She was sick of this. Sick of not knowing where she stood in this new world. Sick of not being able to see Haku. She'd constantly assured him it would be alright and that they'd get through it, but she wasn't sure how much of this back and forth she was willing to take.

Aeala was gurgling in the background and Chihiro smiled at the little baby laughing with her mother.

"How has everyone been here? You and Rin?"

"Fine," Chase replied. "We've kind of shifted the work off Rin so it's all handled equally. Haku usually did the majority of the work, so we never knew how much effort it was to manage a bathhouse like this. As for Rin, I haven't really seen her. We don't talk as much since you left. We've both been busy, I suppose."

Chase turned her attention to her child then, tickling the little girl and making her shriek in happiness. Chihiro smiled and sat down cross legged on the futon. She still felt funny – like she was dehydrated, so took another sip of the cooling tea.

"What happened with Raijin?" Chase asked gently after a long silence. Aeala had squirmed out of her arms and was now crawling around the small space. "Hotaru was pretty shaken after everything. Cats hate thunder and lightning, you know." She gave a chuckle and a wink.

Chihiro shook her head and laughed. "That's one thing I never figured out. My mind was frazzled but I kept wondering how in the world he'd managed to come to the human world – for a moment I thought it was you. I'd never seen Hotaru like that."

Chase nodded. "I understand," she said. "We never knew either. Haku rang up a few nights ago – he seemed frantic and desperate. He said he'd found something; something big, and he wouldn't tell us where he'd gotten the information from, but for Hotaru to cross the spirit border at exactly midnight, find you and bring you back. We asked him over again how did he know if it was worth it – remember when Rin, Haku and I took you back? I kept complaining of a terrible feeling being near the human world. But Haku didn't tell us how he knew only that he was adamant Hotaru do it. So," Chase shrugged and gave Chihiro a little grin. "He did it and here you are. Even Hotaru doesn't know how it happened."

Chihiro frowned. That was strange. She felt as if she hardly knew Haku anymore. The need to be close to him was becoming unbearable. There were no more questions to ask Chase now, since all of her answers could only be given to her by Haku himself.

Who knew when she was going to get those answers?

Chihiro took a shower up in Haku's old quarters. For a long time, though, she just sat in the cold, dark room happy to be alone. The furniture had large white sheets draped over them, and Chihiro uncovered the Victorian seats by the cold fireplace to sit in. She imagined her dragon reading in the study or bent over doing paperwork, cursing when he tipped over his pot of ink and then removing the stain magically from his pants. She recalled the warmth of the fire when she sat in the lounges, rivaled only by the heat of her lover's body as he cradled her gently and kissed the shell of her ear in complete relaxation.

Chihiro moved to the bedroom then, the large bedroom that also serviced for a launching pad whenever Haku needed to go out. There were scratch marks on the floorboards from his claws as he tore up the wood in landing. The bed they shared was stripped back to only a mattress covered in a white sheet. Dust clung to the once polished wood of the frame. She dusted a part off with her finger before entering the bathroom.

Chase had given her clean clothes Haku had returned to the bathhouse in anticipation for her arrival. At least, she figured, he had organized something for her to wear upon her return. It was a scarlet kimono with cream golden flowers embroidered from the neckline, down the waist and finishing at the hem, where the fabric turned black. It was quite a light garment, which was refreshing on a warm spring night. There was a shimmering cream robe to go over it. For now, there was a simple tunic she'd worn many times before, and a pair of cream slacks. It was comfortable and it was light and she was suddenly very hungry.

The sun was going down and many spirits had begun to flock into the bathhouse. Not wanting to brave the stares and questions, Chase retrieved Chihiro's dinner and met her back in the tiny quarters she now called home. They ate in silence and Chase soon left, needing to start her night's shift.

For a long time, Chihiro sat on her balcony listening to the sounds of the bathhouse and watching the lights of the train as it whizzed past. She sighed and hugged her legs, seeing a few frogs smoking on a balcony below her. The stench wafted up so Chihiro went back inside where a small oil candle was burning, offering a dull glow to the room.

Chihiro didn't know how much time she'd spend wallowing when Rin suddenly opened the door and entered mid-conversation. She was holding an odd contraption to her ear and talking through the end circle at the bottom of a large golden rod. It took Chihiro a moment that she was using an old version of a telephone. Rin glanced at Chihiro for a moment before leaning against the cupboard.

"Yes, she's here," she spoke into the piece. Chihiro heard murmurings on the other end. "Alright, give me a second, geez," she huffed and took the hearing piece away from her ear. The person on the other end was still talking. She shot Chihiro a grin.

"Haku wants to talk to you," she said grinning as she heard the dragon still talking on the other end. "Do you want to talk to him?"

Chihiro laughed and nodded. Rin rolled her eyes and sighed.

"Bad luck, dragon," she teased over the phone. "She doesn't want to talk to you."

There was a definite shout of colourful words on the other end and Rin winced with a laugh.

"All right, all right," she huffed, "she's all yours."

Rin tossed the phone to Chihiro and mouthed goodbye before exiting. Gingerly, Chihiro put the receiver to her ear and spoke through the phone.

"Hello?"

"Chihiro!" Haku's voice almost jumped down her throat. His voice sounded tinny and distant, but it was definitely him. After a moment she realized she had not said anything in reply, and he was cursing over the other side of the line. "Does this bloody thing work? Curses – Chihiro are you still there?"

"I'm here!" she replied back hastily. "Sorry, I just haven't heard your voice for a long time."

"Oh." he replied over the phone. "How are you?"

"I still feel a little sick." she admitted.

"That's normal. It will pass."

"How are you?"

"Busy," he replied honestly. "Very busy. Ever since this… well, I won't discuss it over the phone. I'll tell you when I see you."

"When will that be? Am I coming to live at the Palace, or am I staying at the bathhouse, or what? I need to know. I don't have enough clothes to stay here."

She heard Haku's hesitation in the form of white noise over the phone. "I want you here." he said finally. "It's a long train ride, but do you think you'll be well enough to leave in a day's time?"

"I'm well enough to see you now," she replied. "But I suppose I can make it."

"When you do, bring the bathhouse records for this month with you please." he begged gently over the phone. Chihiro rolled her eyes. Such a romantic. "I've organized for Rin to buy the tickets."

"Haku, can I ask you something?"

"Of course, sweetheart." the endearing tone in his voice made Chihiro's insides melt.

"My parents…," she shook her head, though Haku couldn't see, as she hesitated. "I'm worried for them."

"So am I," he replied honestly. "But they're safe. I'm making sure of it."

"I had to leave so suddenly."

"This is everything I want to discuss when you get here," he clarified. "Someone might be listening."

Chihiro sighed in defeat and flopped against her pillow. "I miss you," she admitted gently. "I wish you were here with me. At the bathhouse. It's not the same without you."

She heard Haku's deep exhale of breath on the other end. "I miss you too." Then she heard the sound of a door shutting. "I miss you so much it hurts… what would you do to me if I was there?"

Chihiro squeaked in mortification. "We can't talk about that, but we can do this?"

Haku chuckled. "I'm a lonely man who hasn't seen his beautiful mate-to-be in weeks. I'm one gentle breeze away from a tsunami over here, Chihiro."

"Haku!" she squealed. "Is this even you I'm talking to? Are you some imposter?"

"Yes I'm an imposter – an alter-ego that only appears when I'm sexually frustrated. You've probably never met him."

Chihiro laughed against the pillow.

"Thank the Lord of the Eastern Lands these robes are baggy!"

"That's enough – we are not doing it like this."

"Don't be a spoil sport," he replied. "This is the most action I've gotten in weeks! To anyone listening, I am about to have passionate phone sex, there's no reason to continue listening to weed out political information."

"No we're not!" Chihiro groaned, her hand covering her forehead. She felt like a fifteen year-old; a giddy, embarrassed and horny fifteen year-old. "Feel free to keep listening!"

"Remember that time we rendezvoused to the train station? That was fantastic."

"I always thought the one we did on your desk was better."

"Take you on my desk right now. This one's bigger." His deep husky voice through the phone had her tingling all over. "That thing you did with your mouth back then – that was magic. I didn't even know you could do that."

"That's not all I can do, you know…"

"Really?" he grinned over the phone. "Why don't you tell me?"

"Are you alone?"

"Sadly."

"Is the phone line bugged?"

"This is one of the most secure phone lines in all of the Lands."

Chihiro grinned then and shuffled deeper into her futon. "Well then… I suppose we can have some fun. But I'm not doing all the work!"

"Do you ever?"

* * *

Rin was finishing her rounds when she went back to Chihiro's room, intending on retrieving the phone. She approached quietly, and was about to knock on the door when she heard gentle murmurings from inside and a strange scent emitting from the room. She heard her friend let out a low moan and Haku's voice demand to know what she was doing now. Rin quickly scrambled away, her face bright red.

Humans were indeed vulgar things!

She was walking back to her quarters thinking how Chihiro could keep the phone for all eternity – it was not that expensive to enquire another and how she was glad she'd used a private speaker phone and not once such as Yubaba's, a skull that spoke in time with the receiver.

The room was dark when she entered, but she flicked on a switch and the lights on the wall began to burn slowly, illuminating the place. Pouring herself a hard drink of whisky, Rin moved to get undressed, slipping into a white kosode and keeping her legs free and cool. She picked up a brush and began working it through her locks gently, in long sweeping motions.

A breeze came through the shoji in that moment, the cool temperature of outside sending goose bumps down Rin's neck and shoulders. She shivered involuntarily, placing the hairbrush down to fasten the shoji together.

The moon shone down on her outside, and Rin stopped for a moment to enjoy it. The night was cloudless and stars dotted around the skies, burning millions of light-years away. She sighed against a gust of wind off the plain. The moon reflected in her eyes and Rin sighed, feeling her hair blow behind her as she stepped out onto the balcony, high above the ground as she tried to reach out and capture the moon.

"Your skin looks beautiful in the moonlight," a gentle voice murmured against the skin of her neck. Something warm had come up behind her. Deft hands moved around her waist to untie the kosode, letting it fall to the balcony floorboards.

"I knew I would lure you out of the shadows," Rin murmured, turning back to her lover. "We have a lot to talk about."

Raijin grinned against Rin's shoulder blade, the moon making a silver ring around the light blue of his irises. She felt his hand move up to massage her breast.

"Later," he purred.

Rin grinned and took a sip of her whisky.

* * *

Thanks to those people who reviewed the last chapter… they were:

**ziggy-zee, Silent-Mousie, TheReapersGift , LaurenvBelladonna, HonorGuardElite, Sokka2Me, doglover500, DemonChild94, ulquihime7980, iluvmycorgi22, Watermelon23, Bluebird123, WhisperToTheWolves, Randomsam123, WhiteTiger246, Superblueowl, Carly, Orpheusdescendin, litugreen, GangstaSummoner, Have a Nice Dream** and **LeeshyLoo.**

I'm sure, as you've discovered, this chapter _is _rather saucy! I think I'll let it do all the talking and keep this short.

Please take the time to review and tell me what you thought.

~ **Arlia'Devi.**


	9. IX: Back to the Bathhouse

**The Path of Water**

By Arlia'Devi

Disclaimer: I do not own Spirited Away in any respect; all rights go to Hayao Miyazaki and associates. I make no money from this.

**The Path of Water**

**IX: Back at the Bathhouse**

"_You're no good for me, but baby I want you."_

~ **Lana Del Ray** "_Diet Mountain Dew_"

Rin awoke and immediately lit up a cigarette. Her bed was empty and the shoji had been left open. Late morning light shone through and she squinted at it before, taking a long drag of her cigarette, pulled on a light robe before dabbing it out and heading down the elevator.

With bleary eyes and tousled hair, she ran out of the elevator and approached a small room. Gently she parted the shoji to see Chihiro sleeping soundly on her futon. The telephone was resting at the foot of her bed, so Rin quietly picked it up and took it back to her room. Lighting up another cigarette, she sat down at her desk and dialed the number to the train station.

"Hello?" a chirpy male voice came through the receiver. It made Rin wince.

"Yes, this is Rin of the Bathhouse in the South-Eastern District."

"Oh Mistress Rin – what can we do for you this morning."

She blew out a billow of white cigarette smoke. "A one-way ticket from here to the High City, I want to leave tomorrow."

"Of course ma'am."

"First class."

"Yes," the voice responded. "That's fine. That's five hundred yen."

"I'll send someone to pick it up this afternoon."

"We'll be expecting you," the voice said. "Have a nice day, mistress."

Rin hung up the phone and dabbed out her second cigarette, tossing the pack into the bottom drawer and savoring the taste in her mouth and throat. She felt numb all over, and that was how she wanted to feel. Walking back into her bedroom, she closed the shoji, locking it, before stepping into the shower.

He never stayed. She never wanted him to.

Rin let the water drip down her body, running through her hair as she lathered it up with a rich smelling liquid. The water gurgled down the drain as she washed herself, feeling the soothing prick of the hot water against her chest and face. The heat let her know she wasn't numb, despite her best efforts.

Like her cigarettes, he was a naughty pleasure. He was addictive.

And Rin didn't know if she could ever stop.

She closed her eyes and turned off the shower faucet, stepping out and grabbing a towel to dry off her skin. She slipped on a pair of cream slacks and a large red tunic, pulled in with a golden obi before sitting down at her desk to start her morning's paperwork. A young maid entered to attend to her quarters, silently gathering the clothes into a washing basket and making her bed. Rin was busy, and unlike her dear Haku she didn't possess the convenience of magic or a steady lover to do her household chores.

She remembered one night when she'd stumbled in on Haku and Chihiro sleeping side-by-side. It had been early in their relationship, and they were slowly building to actually sleeping with each other. Rin remembered then desiring something like they had found with each other, a steady relationship with someone she could stand for more than twenty-four hours… She had not thought that was too much to ask.

Obviously it had been.

There was a knock at the door and it pulled Rin out of her reverie. She called a hazy, "Come in," that sounded foreign and strange to her own ears as she put the paperwork to the side. Chihiro entered the room with a small smile, carrying a tray full of breakfast dishes.

"Hey." she said shyly.

"Hi." Rin replied, getting up from her chair.

Chihiro looked at Rin's telephone on the desk sheepishly before clearing her throat.

"I thought we could have breakfast together – we haven't talked in a little while," she sniffed the air. "Has someone been smoking in here?" She spied the ashtray near the window with a few butted cigarettes out. "I didn't know you smoked, Rin."

The sable spirit shrugged. "Now and then. I only just picked it up again. It's nothing to worry about."

Chihiro grinned and placed the tray down on the table.

"Don't tell Haku, but I've smoked."

"You?" Rin scoffed. "Stupid human – don't you know that can take more years off your ridiculously short life?"

Chihiro laughed. "I never used to smoke much. One of the friends I made in University always used to offer me one when we went out drinking and I was too drunk most of the time to turn it down. I think I only had two or three."

"Yeah, well if he does jump down your throat about it, he's not picture perfect either. He enjoyed a special kind of cigar - very expensive at that - when he was a young bachelor."

Chihiro smiled and took up to her food. She was suddenly very hungry.

Rin sighed and sat down to eat at the small table near the kitchenette. She rarely had breakfast this early and was still feeling a little nauseous from last night, but a cup of tea was soothing and it was the only free time she really had with Chihiro.

"We missed you when you left." Rin muttered.

Chihiro offered a tight smile. "If it was up to me, I would have never left. I think it caused more damage than it was worth – with my parents being in danger and everything."

"Maybe," Rin huffed. "I don't know anymore. We're busy with all these new tourists visiting the district. We used to service about 2 million spirits, but it's doubled. Some nights it's tripled and we're struggling handling all the customers. I'm filthy rich, but I don't know how long we can keep up providing services for that many spirits." She finished off the dregs of her tea and reached for a pastry.

"It must be tough here," Chihiro admitted.

"They help – Chase and others," Rin replied. "It's not that much, I just like to complain."

Chihiro laughed and added the sugar to her tea before taking a sip.

"I've ordered the train tickets – I'll get someone to pick them up this afternoon, but you're leaving tomorrow morning. There's only one way to get from the bathhouse to the high city, you have to catch the train to the second platform, there's a train that will take you there down in the train station underground."

Chihiro nodded. "Rin." she said seriously.

"Yeah?" the sable spirit looked up from her breakfast.

"Have you seen Raijin around the bathhouse?"

Rin frowned. "Not really," she muttered. "He comes in for a bath occasionally, less since Haku moved to the High City. I hardly ever see him."

"You heard about him from Hotaru, right?"

Rin nodded. "I did."

Chihiro shook her head. "I'm worried about him. I think something's wrong with him – he didn't look at all like himself. His eyes were all wild, like the time Haku was sick with Yubaba's controlling slug."

Rin scoffed. "Raijin can take care of himself, Chihiro. There's nothing you can do."

"Maybe," Chihiro admitted lowly and then sighed. "I'm just worried. I know he's Haku's friend…"

Rin shook her head. "Stop worrying. Raijin can look after himself. It's you we worry about."

Chihiro grinned. "I know, but I can't wait to see Haku again."

Rin rolled her eyes and laughed well-naturedly at her friend. "I bet you can't."

* * *

Chase and Rin worked throughout the day, so Chihiro was left to her own devices within the bathhouse for much of the afternoon and became very bored. For a while she went through Haku's old quarters, making sure everything was covered and being stored properly. Then she went for a walk down to the pig pen and the hydrangea garden where she sat in the sun for a long time.

It was peaceful just to look at the bathhouse, and the clouds above that weren't in any sort of shapes she could make out. The clouds stretched across the sky in thin white streaks and the sky looked like it was going on forever across the plane. A train rumbled past in the late evening as spirits began to move in. Chihiro knew it was time to go back.

She entered via the main gate, meeting an exasperated Hotaru in the process.

"Chase has been looking for you," he said. Chihiro could tell he was a little pissed off at her. "You shouldn't walk off like that – do you know what Haku would do to me if you got hurt?" he shook his head and grunted, pushing her by the small of her back into the bathhouse.

"Sorry." Chihiro grinned, which only made the bakeneko all that more irritated. She was about to ask him something, but a group of woodland spirits entered the main gate then and Hotaru forced a faux smile over his face to greet them. They, however, seemed more entranced with the human standing in front of them.

"That's her." one said to the other, who smiled widely.

"I wonder if the Lord is around…," the other replied back. The third woodland spirit was just watching her like a great spectacle.

"She doesn't even smell… that's funny, I always thought human's smell."

"The Lord is not in tonight," Hotaru said sternly to the three wood spirits. "If you're looking for him, he's not here. As for Lady Chihiro, you should address her as courteously as you do to her Lord."

Chihiro squeaked a little when a hand came to rest on her shoulder.

"Come with me, my lady," Chase said sweetly, guiding Chihiro away from the main gate. The human was eager to leave such ogling and when she got in staff areas, gushed,

"Are they always like that?"

"Afraid so," Chase replied with a grimace. "They always come in wondering if they'll catch a glimpse of Haku. This place gets swamped with curious tourists."

"It freaked me out a little. They just watched me as if I was some kind of act. I understood when people stared because I was human, but now that I'm the Lord's mate and a human, it's increased ten-fold!"

"Well, it's just what you're going to have to get used to," Chase shrugged. "Come on, let's get some dinner – I'm starved."

"Same." Chihiro gushed, heading into the mess halls. A few spirits looked at her, but they were all frogs and slugs and she could handle frogs and slugs.

Chase said the young spirit Peata was watching Aeala as she slept. She'd had her dinner earlier in the day, and Chihiro had not realized how late it had become by the time they'd wandered into the mess halls. Many of the spirits had already left and the hall was rather empty. They grabbed dinner and sat down.

Chase sat down as her hand delved into her grey tunic's pocket. She revealed a small red train ticket and handed it to Chihiro.

"Be careful," she said sternly but with a smile.

Chihiro took the ticket. It was only made of paper, and slipped it into her pocket.

"I will." she promised.

"It's a secure cabin," Chase replied. "One of those one's that has the bed on it, and Haku's already organized a number of security persons to be one the train with you… but," the cat bit her lip apprehensively. "I still worry about you, Chihiro. I'll always worry about you, I think."

Chihiro acknowledged that with thanks. "I'll be careful," she promised. "It's not like I go out looking for trouble."

"I suppose you're right," conceded Chase with a small sigh. For a little while, there was silence within between the two.

"I'm worried about Raijin."

Chase shook her head. "Don't get involved."

"How can I not get involved? I have no idea what he was trying to do that night, but it wasn't to bring me back to the bathhouse, I know that for sure."

"You said you didn't want to go looking for trouble," Chase warned. "Then don't start some by going after this. Haku will handle it."

Chihiro shook her head. She was unable to let it drop that easily. "But I-,"

"Chihiro!" Chase almost growled out.

"Fine," she replied through tight lips. Chase probably didn't know anything Chihiro didn't know, so the only real way she was going to find out any information regarding Raijin was from Haku.

And that would be a problem all on its own.

"It's late," Chase yawned. "We should get some sleep. The train leaves early tomorrow morning. That red kimono is yours. You should wear it tomorrow and I can do your hair. Just make sure you don't fall asleep and ruin it on the train."

Chihiro smiled and pushed thoughts of Raijin and Haku to the back of her mind. This was perhaps the last night in many months she would spend with her bathhouse friends, and she decided to savor it.

"In a moment," Chihiro replied. "I think I'm going to go down and see Kamaji."

"Alright," Chase nodded. "I'm going to bed. See you in the morning."

"Goodnight." Chihiro smiled before pulling the lever to open a nearby elevator shaft, the ornamented doors opening smoothly to reveal an empty bay. Chihiro hopped in and lowered the elevator down to the lowest floor, to the boiler room, where it opened as seamlessly as it had previously, before running back up the shaft to higher levels.

The boiler room was always hot, especially at night when it was going. In the mornings it was quite warm from all the hot water bays hidden in the walls, but it sometimes became unpleasant down here when the boilers were going, especially on hot days. At least Kamaji could handle it.

Speaking of said spider spirit, he was busy filling in orders for herbal baths and sending the water up the pipeline. The sootballs were working to keep the fires going, hauling their pieces of coal like ants towards the grid opening to the furnace before quickly scurrying back for another. There was an empty plate and bowl near the small cubby hole Rin came down in, to be picked up for tomorrow night's dinner.

"Kamaji," Chihiro called as she carefully navigated around some very aggravated sootballs that squeaked and squawked their annoyance at the human's intruding feet.

"Watch what you say to her, you little runts," Kamaji growled at them, sending a token back up to indicate its finished order. "Or it'll be back to soot for you!"

Chihiro laughed at the threat and Kamaji turned to see his granddaughter.

"I heard you we're back, but I didn't think you'd find the time to see little old me," Kamaji grinned and pulled up a small stool from a far side of the room. "Sit," he ushered.

Chihiro sat. "I go to see Haku tomorrow; I leave on the train in the morning."

"You sound nervous."

"I am nervous." Chihiro replied, cracking a half-hearted grin.

"I've heard some things you should probably let Haku know." he said, turning to Chihiro. At that moment, two more orders fell from the roof and he quickly got to work on them, talking all the while.

"I don't understand who you hear all this from," Chihiro shook her head. "You never leave the bathhouse."

"I have friends outside the bathhouse." A hand moved past Chihiro and into a small box in the wall filled to the brim with letters and envelopes. He went through them quickly, as if it had all been filed properly and grabbed a small white piece of paper, folded thrice and handed it to Chihiro.

"His name is Taro, and he's been my friend for many years. He lives in the West. Look at that letter."

Chihiro read the letter. The characters were badly calligraphic, Taro's handwriting was light and scratchy, but she could still make out what he had penned. Well, most of it. In many sentences, words had been blotted out with thick ink and a whole section of paper had been ripped from the letter.

"It's been censored," Chihiro frowned. "What could he possibly say that would have made them censor it?"

Kamaji shook his head. "I think the better question is, Sen, what are they up to that would make them want to censor his letter."

"Strange," Chihiro muttered, the whole thing only adding to her worries. "Can I keep this? I'll show Haku."

"Sure, Kami knows I can't read it," chuckled the spider. "Any news of Yubaba?"

"Yubaba?" Chihiro frowned. "I haven't been back in three months. I have no idea."

"I heard she's been high up in the north, I don't know why she's up there, though. Zeniba has not seen her either; I write to Zeniba, also. Some people say they've seen her over in the West, but that's old hogwash. People don't know what they see these days."

Chihiro let out a billow of hot air from her nostrils. "I hope she is safe, at least and that she keeps herself out of trouble, you never know with all this mess going around."

"So forgiving and well wishing, Sen – that's very noble of her."

"I may not like the woman," Chihiro replied. "But I don't want her going and getting herself hurt or killed. Then I'd be on the same level as her!"

Kamaji chuckled and looked down at his twenty year old adoptive granddaughter, the first Lady of the Eastern lands and chuckled at the fiery look she was giving him. "Indeed you don't, Sen," he chuckled and ruffled the woman's hair with one of his six limbs.

* * *

Thank you to all the people who reviewed the last chapter. We passed 150 reviews which is amazing. Those awesome people were…

**Nuingarien, Avalons' Wish, LeeshyLoo, carebear969, Carly, Watermelon23, akira-chan101, doglover500, iluvmycorgi22, KisaTiger12, Silent-Mousie, WhisperToTheWolves, Bluebird123, WhiteTiger246, michelle88222, Have a Nice Dream, Sokka2Me, LaurenvBelladonna, DemonChild94** and** Orpheus Descending.**

Thank you!

A lot of you have been commenting on **MissMileyRaion**'s wonderful editiing skills, and you're right – she is very good! Any errors are my own last minute sentence changes! One can always benefit from a second set of eyes and another opinion.

Also, **Have A Nice Dream** asked if I could bring back next chapter previews, so sure – I will! (I had honestly forgotten about writing them… oops).

Next time on **The Path of Water**: Chihiro says goodbye to the bathhouse and boards a train for the High City in hopes of finally reuniting with her dragon.

Please take the time to leave a **review**!

~** Arlia'Devi**


	10. X: We'll Be Coming Back

**The Path of Water**

By Arlia'Devi

Disclaimer: I do not own Spirited Away in any respect; all rights go to Hayao Miyazaki and associates. I make no money from this.

**The Path of Water**

**X: We'll Be Coming Back**

_"All changes, even the most longed for, have their melancholy; for what we leave behind us is a part of ourselves; we must die to one life before we can enter another."_  
__**Anatole France.**_****_

If there was one thing Haku had come to hate, it was the lengthy and dull business acquisitions he was forced to attend and sit through with other members of parliament. He would sit at the head of the long, stone table and listen to the bickering of other members across the table. No work would often get done, and he would sit there bored, with his head in his hands watching the clock tick by.

"What I am saying is we should send forces into the Eastern border, lest they attack us before we them!" Senekular announced, rising up from his chair. He was met with the fiery gaze of Ayne, directly opposite them.

"A pre-emitted attack?" she screeched. "Or an outright war? Those are our best trade routes interstate; it would be stupidity to attack them when we have heard nothing from the Western Lands."

"The Western Lands are rising up, have no doubt about that!" retorted Yaug. "It's only a matter of time. We are like pigs waiting for the slaughter sitting here, unarmed. Where is General Dal?" Yaug looked to a seat down the table that was strangely empty, and then he looked to his Lord for an explanation.

"Dal?" Haku snapped to attention. "I sent him to make sure the deliverance of a very special parcel went smoothly."

Yaug said very little, but Senekular's look said everything. He said back down and shook his head.

"Our best general and he's off waiting at a train station?"

"I could have gone if you prefer it so," Haku replied with a grin. He'd found that torturing Senekular was a lot more satisfying than Kivo back at the bathhouse.

"Sometimes I wonder where your loyalties lay, my Lord," Senekular replied.

"I should reply the same to you," retorted Haku. "To send armies into the border, especially along the trade routes would not only cause stress on the Eastern merchants and farmers, but provoke more hostile attack from the Western Lands. I already have it covered -,"

"You call the occasional letter from some old fool having the situation 'covered'?" Senekular interrupted. "I cover a bug under my boot better than you rule these lands, Lord Kohaku," the words dripped from his lips and Haku felt his anger spike, but forced himself to bite his tongue as Senekular stalked out of the parliament room and disappeared between a large door.

"Well," Haku said calmly, gathering his papers and standing up. "I believe this meeting is over. Good work everyone, the same thing tomorrow."

"Yes, my lord." Ayne bowed and scurried off. Yaug, the large red-skinned obese spirit left without a word to his Lord, the same way Senekular had exited.

Haku left the throne room quickly then, in one state of mind happy that such a boring event was over, but on the other hand, worried about the reactions he'd encountered from many members of the parliament. He'd always known Senekular to dislike him, which he had taken in stride – no one could possibly like everyone, Haku knew that, but to send troops to an area that possibly was not under siege was not a smart idea. The presence of soldiers in the area unnerved him, and he wondered why they were in such a peaceful and flourishing trade region.

Haku frowned as he entered his office. He closed the door behind him.

Frankly, he had not had much contact with the new Lord of the Western Lands and that worried him considerably. This new Lord, Jairomaku, was a spirit born of the fire. He had not heard much of him, only the rumors of his exterior appearance he had little interest for. The East and the West never had the best relationship, not since their split to become two different nations had come about, and the Westerners attempting to overthrow the Easterners fifty thousand years later.

Haku sighed and pulled out a blank sheet of paper from the drawer. Dabbing a quill into a pot of ink, he began to pen a letter.

Jairomaku,

You already may know me, but allow me to introduce myself. My name is Kohaku Nigahamyi Nushi and I am the Lord of the Eastern Lands. I hope your transition into your new role was pleasant and hope we can look forward to peaceful years of co-operation between our two nations…

… It has come to my attention that the villages on the Eastern side of the border notice Western soldiers patrolling the border. As we both know, this area is peaceful and possesses flourishing trade routes that benefit both our nations. I would like an explanation as of why these forces are present in such an area.

I hope to meet in the future on good terms.

Regards,

Lord Kohaku Nigahamyi Nushi.

Haku folded the letter and sealed it with wax before heading out to the aviaries on the patio and selecting a small grey pigeon. He gently tied the letter to the pigeon before releasing it. The pigeon took to the air, happy to be out of the confined space and headed directly west, soaring above the city in the cool mid-morning breeze.

Haku sighed and headed back inside. He made his way to the extensive kitchen area within the palace, which was conveniently open all hours of the day and night. On the kitchen bench was a platter of small cakes and confectionary for morning tea. There was a large pot full of boiling water and a selection of expensive teas. Haku brewed a cup of tea and sat down at the end of a table and rubbed his temples.

He wished he'd known about all these inner-palace problems before he'd started on the job. The relationship tension between members of parliament was insane – there were two very different mind-sets represented and they clashed almost constantly. First there was Ayne and other ladies such as Ismene who were willing to try new things and embrace new ideas.

_Including my relationship status, and the fact that my intended mate is a human… _

Then there was Senekular and Yaug, and a few other members of parliament who desired the old, traditional ways of running office. Haku could have lovers, like Sar'onga, as long as they were unemotionally attached and from a harem or brothel. Prostitutes were good at what they did – there was no emotional attachment needed. Senekular believed in the 'attack before you get attacked' philosophy, and that was a problem all in its own.

Haku took a large sip of his tea and tried to think of something more desirable. Something happier.

_Chihiro…_

* * *

Chihiro wore the beautiful kimono on the platform of the train station. In the kimono pocket were her train tickets and a small note on the directions to the second train she needed to catch to arrive at the High City. Chase was standing beside her, but the bakeneko said very little. Aeala was being minded by Hotaru back at the bathhouse. Rin had been too busy but had said a hurried goodbye to Chihiro that morning.

"Rin's always busy, isn't she?" Chihiro broke the early morning silence.

"Yes." Chase replied.

Chihiro looked down to the bathhouse, trying to spy the large fog light of the train approaching. She couldn't see it.

"I thought so," Chihiro replied. She checked her watch. 7:19am. "What time is this train supposed to come through."

"7:29am," Chase replied.

"Precisely?" Chihiro scoffed.

Chase nodded.

They stood in silence for a little longer. The space between them seemed heavy and neither of the girls wished to speak. The tension was unbearable for Chihiro.

"I'll be safe," she said quietly to Chase. "I promise I will be."

"I hope so," Chase replied honestly, looking to her friend. "I'm so worried for you, Chihiro. Everyone is."

"I know they are," she admitted with a sharp breath. "But there's no other way. I love Haku."

"But would he do this for you?" Chase retorted. "Would he give up everything in the spirit world to travel to the human world if it meant you'd be together?"

Chihiro shook her head. "I don't know what you're trying to say Chase, but I think so. He had no choice to become Lord; if I went back to the human world, it would be a choice for me. I can leave Haku any moment I like, Chase, I can go back to the human world but I won't."

"I just don't want to see you get hurt, Chihiro," Chase began to cry. Her blue eyes became red around the edges and all watery. She batted away a few tears with a stray hand.

"I'll be alright, Chase." Chihiro murmured, pulling the woman into a tight embrace. Chase cried onto Chihiro's shoulder and over the bakeneko's head, Chihiro saw the light of the train approaching under the bridge to the bathhouse.

"T-the train is coming," Chase peeled herself away from Chihiro and laughed. "Geez," she said, trying to rub the stains of her tears from the shoulder of Chihiro's kimono. "Look at the mess I made."

"It's alright." Chihiro smiled. "You'll come and visit me, right?"

"And miss out on all that great inner-city shopping? Of course I will," she smiled.

The train was almost there. Chihiro straightened out her hair and mentally did a last minute check-off on her list. In a final parting, she looked to the bathhouse. The train pulled up and the doors opened on the platform.

"Do you think you'll be back here?" Chase asked as Chihiro stepped on.

"One day," she returned a small, sad smile to one of her best friends. "We'll be coming back here, one day."

Chase nodded. "Goodbye, Chihiro!"

The doors shut with a small squeak. Chase watched as someone approached Chihiro for her tickets, and as the new Lady of the Eastern lands delved into her pockets, the train left the station. Chase watched the train chug down the tracks until both it, and her friend, were out of sight.

* * *

Chihiro entered the train cabin directed to her and sat down, watching the bathhouse disappear into the distance as the train chugged away. Chihiro sighed and got herself comfortable. The cabin was small, smaller than the one she and Haku had travelled from the High City on, but Chihiro could put her feet up on the seats and it was comfortable so it would be alright for a few stops.

There was suddenly a shadow over the small window within the cabin door and Chihiro recognized someone was standing by the side of the door. Gingerly she rose to unlock the cabin door and peer out the side.

Beside the door stood a large, strongly built man dressed in a beautiful turquoise and gold tunic. The tunic sleeves did little to hide the muscles in his arms, and his skin was beautifully dark.

"Hello, mister?"

The man looked down to Chihiro. His head was shaven shiny bald, and his eyes were a beautiful chocolate brown.

"M'lady," he bowed.

"What's your name?"

"Dal," he replied simply. "We must leave on the second stop. I'll let you know when it's time to leave."

"Thank you," Chihiro smiled, but Dal's face remained emotionless. "How long will it be until we get to the High City."

"I anticipate our arrival at 2pm, my lady," Dal replied. "Tell me if you need anything."

Chihiro nodded and offered her thanks before closing the door gently and sitting down.

As the hours passed, Chihiro and Dal switched trains at the underground train station off the second stop. The second train's cabin was much more luxurious and Chihiro offered if Dal wanted to sit within the cabin with her. The guard had politely declined and Chihiro came to realize very quickly Dal was the 'strong and silent' type.

He wasn't the most interesting of company, but it was better than being alone.

After what seemed like ages, Chihiro's stomach was rumbling and she was about to ask for food when Dal announced they were arriving in the High City. Soon, the outskirts of one of the most glamorous spirit cities came into view as the train stopped at Supreme Central Station located in the middle of the city. Not too far away from where the train was stationed, Chihiro could see high spires and she knew they belonged to the Imperial Palace.

"We stay off the streets." Dal instructed when Chihiro exited the train station at the rear of the cart to avoid the populace. She was then directed into a small cabin powered by a large spirit working a bicycle. Dal also climbed into the small cabin, but kept to the corner away from Chihiro and did not say a word.

"Do you know Haku very well?"

"I know Lord Kohaku." he replied.

"Lord Kohaku… sorry." she corrected, realizing that unlike the bathhouse spirits would address him properly.

Well, address him without sarcasm… Chihiro grinned remembering the memories when she, Rin or Chase had gotten annoyed at Haku and used his full name.

"I am general of the Eastern army."

"General?" Chihiro replied. "Why are you escorting me –you must have other work to be doing! Who sent you?"

"Lord Kohaku." replied Dal.

"I'm sorry," Chihiro shook her head. "I didn't mean to be such a pain."

"You won't last long in the palace with that attitude, my lady." Dal replied quickly then, something sparking in his eyes.

"Excuse me?" Chihiro choked.

"You belittle your importance as to think I have better things than to deal with than you," Dal spoke. "You are the lady and the only one we have had. Period. Show a little backbone. There are many people who don't want you in such a position, you don't need to be agreeing with them."

Chihiro nodded and frowned. "You're right."

_I have to stick up for myself here… it's never been a problem for me before, but … _

Her nerves were frazzled and she was exhausted mentally and physically. Maybe when she met up with Haku again, it would all go away and she would start to feel normal again. Somehow, Chihiro didn't think that was going to happen either.

"We're here." Dal said all too suddenly.

Chihiro hesitated. They were here. There was no turning back and ignoring the problem now. She wasn't ready for this.

"My lady." Dal cleared his throat. He was standing outside, the sunlight glittering off the gold threat embroidered into his shirt.

"Sorry." Chihiro muttered as she took Dal's large hand and stepped outside of the cabin and into the sunlight.

The day was blinding and the sun reflected off every shining surface within the city district. It seemed everything was made out of some expensive material and Chihiro shielded her eyes as she looked up to the great Imperial Palace looming over her.

_I guess this is it…  
_

* * *

Ayne hurried down the hallways, picking up her skirts so they would not be kicked and scuffed around. When she reached the foyer, her lady was already there by Dal's side, looking around the palace foyer and more or less hiding in the shadow of her security guard. Ayne instantly approached her.

"You're wearing the kimono, my lady" she smiled and touched Chihiro's shoulder. "Good, I wasn't sure it was going to fit you." Ayne looked up to Dal. "Thank you, I'll take it from here."

"Where is Haku?" Chihiro asked Ayne. They were the first words that tumbled from her lips, though she had one hundred other questions lined up after it.

"He's in a meeting at the moment, acknowledging public appointments in the throne room," Ayne replied. "Come, we have to get you out of the public for a while."

Chihiro looked around the room then and was startled to see that many spirits attentions had turned on her, and were watching both her and Ayne's every movement. Suddenly more self-conscious than ever, Chihiro was more than happy to leave.

Chihiro was lead through a labyrinth of hallways and rooms before they finally came to a lovely white complex and entered the large bedroom there. There was a double bed beside a vanity cabinet, and through a small foyer was a long wall of clothes cupboards. There was also a small garden, which was accessible through a beautiful French door in the middle of the room.

"This is lovely." Chihiro smiled, looking at the all-too-comfortable bed. It looked simply divine and she was exhausted.

"I'm glad," Ayne replied. "This is your room, my lady."

"My room?" Chihiro frowned, looking at the woman over her shoulder in the mirror. Ayne had taken her hair out of the fallen clip and was gently rubbing oils into the ends.

"And the Lords, of course," Ayne replied, sensing Chihiro's confusion. "You would not believe the stress I endured convincing the decorators not to decorate two separate rooms."

Chihiro laughed. "For that, I am thankful."

"Allow me to freshen you up, my lady, and then we can visit the Lord," she smiled. "He has been very busy today, but seeing you will perk up his spirits, I'm sure."

Chihiro nodded enthusiastically. Ayne gently began working through Chihiro's hair with a comb before rolling it around her fingers and fixing it into place at the base of Chihiro's skull with a small clip and comb. There was a small tub of light powder on the dresser and Ayne dusted that across the bridge of Chihiro's nose. She then added colour to her cheeks and lips. Chihiro stifled a yawn.

"Was it a good trip, my lady?"

"Rather." Chihiro replied.

Ayne smiled and made her way to the doorway. Silently, Chihiro was guided through the hallways, the directions of things she knew she'd have to imprint into her mind if she had any hope of surviving in this place. All too soon, it seemed, Chihiro was standing on the other side of the throne room, looking at her to-be-mate speaking with a bird spirit. He was reclining comfortably, yet eloquently, in the throne and looked every bit distinguished. The bird spirit left, Haku leant over to write something on a note pad and then got up from the throne to crack his back.

"Well," Ayne's voice hit the shell of Chihiro's ear as she nudged her forward. "What are you waiting for?"

Chihiro stumbled through the door quite inelegantly and caught Haku's attention almost instantly. He jumped, like he had been on edge and Chihiro gave him a sheepish smile as she managed to steady herself. Ayne chuckled from behind.

"Thank kami you're alright," Haku gushed, rushing to Chihiro to pull her into a tight embrace. "I was so worried."

Chihiro sighed against Haku's shoulder, relishing the way her body melted into his and the scent of his skin and clothing.

"I missed you so much." she whispered, angling her mouth against his for a kiss.

Haku allowed one, a tender yet passionate kiss before pulling away. Chihiro suppressed a whimper.

"When I heard what had happened, I was so worried," he pushed back a small strain of hair from Chihiro's face and tucked it behind her ear. "You look beautiful."

She smiled. Chihiro had gained a little weight as if it had been for the past two weeks she'd actually been staying at Zeniba's and been force-fed pastries, and that had been the first thing Haku noticed. Her face was fuller and her hips a little wider – better than the last time he'd seen her and she'd felt thinner between his fingers and he knew it was his fault.

"You look so handsome," Chihiro said and nestled into her lover's chest, cherishing the heat of his body and the sound of his heart beating beside her ear. With a small smile, Haku encircled her body and smiled against the top of her head.

"You should rest – you're tired."

Chihiro shook her head. "I'm fine."

"I don't finish these meetings for at least an hour. Let Ayne take you back to our quarters and I'll meet you back there."

Chihiro didn't mistake the lower tones his voice took, nor could she stop her insides melting and her skin tingle from the anticipation of his suggestions.

"Alright," she smiled lazily and managed to steal one more kiss. "Don't be late."

Haku let Chihiro go and offered her a smoldering look.

"I won't be," he promised darkly.

* * *

The bed had been as comfortable as she'd imagined it to be, and Chihiro slept for an hour. When she awoke, Haku was not there, but Chihiro knew, or more or less, hoped, he wouldn't be too far off.

In that time, Chihiro decided to snoop around the apartment. In the sunroom across the bedroom, where the dressers lie were boxes packed up against the wall. When she discovered this was all of her possessions, untouched, she decided to unpack and while she was unpacking found came across something so decadently naughty.

When she'd first begun sleeping with Haku, she'd travelled back to the human world to visit and purchase a wedding dress. Along with the wedding dress, she'd bought a few risqué undergarments; including a beautiful bra and pantie set she was saving for her wedding night. This little number, however, a black and crimson set with scalloped lace edges, was for special occasions – and wasn't this a special occasion? Chihiro grinned and stripped down.

She heard voices down the hall so quickly pulled out her hair. From being pinned up all day, the ends of her hair curled and bounced around her shoulders. Quickly, Chihiro ran over to the bed, made it back up and positioned herself upon it. She wriggled around; trying to figure out the best position he could walk in on her, and Chihiro then spied a capsule of red lipstick.

The door creaked open. She heard Haku say his goodbyes to someone as Chihiro rubbed her lips together and threw the lipstick into the bathroom, hurrying to make sure she looked a million dollars as he walked in. She brushed her hair down over her shoulders, hoping she looked as pin-up as she thought she did.

Haku was scratching his head as he came in, while the other hand was causally pulling at the frog clasps of his robe. He looked up to Chihiro lying on the bed, and then looked down again, a little distracted. Finally registering what he'd seen, Haku snapped his head back up then to take in the saucy smile of the vixen he was soon to call his wife.

"Well, hello there." he purred. Chihiro relished the feeling of his hot eyes scanning up and down her frame.

Chihiro didn't break eye contact when his eyes met hers again. Haku was still undressing, but maybe wasn't aware of it. He seemed entranced.

"Hello yourself."

Haku grinned. "Are those new?"

"Maybe." Chihiro grinned, shifting her hips a little. "Well, are you just going to stand there?"

"Not at all," he replied and stalked towards the side of the bed, his golden robe falling to the floor. Chihiro got to her knees and pulled off the cotton tunic under it, feeling the smooth skin of his chest under her fingers before running hot, open mouthed kisses down the side of his neck.

Haku groaned and tilted Chihiro's head back for a mind-numbing kiss, his tongue easily slipping through to play with Chihiro's. The dragon groaned into the kiss, one hand slipping around Chihiro's back to push her against his body. Chihiro eagerly reciprocated, burying her hand into his hair as she kissed him passionately and stringing her legs around Haku's waist as she felt herself get pushed against the bed.

Chihiro broke the kiss roughly. Haku panted against her neck as Chihiro's hands worked the pants off his hips. Haku shimmied a little and they were gone, kicked off with his slippers and joining his clothes on the floor.

"I have no more work to do," he muttered against the skin of Chihiro's neck, dragging his lips, teeth and tongue lower. From between her breasts, he looked up at her from under his lashes. "I'm all yours tonight."

Chihiro grinned. "What could we possibly do?" she panted.

"Hmm…," Haku hummed against her naval. "I have a few ideas."

* * *

Thank you to everyone who reviewed the last chapter! We're almost to 200 reviews! Can we make it? I hope so!

Those people who reviewed the last chapter were:

**Watermelon23, WhisperToTheWolves, ChHku, WhiteTiger246, Natalie, Heartz4Jesus, Avalons' Wish, LaurenvBelladonna, MeggyMoo, LeeshyLoo, Sokka2Me, Miranda, Lovely, Have a Nice Dream, akira-chan101, carebear969, iluvmycorgi22, DemonChild94, Carly** and **Bluebird123.**

One reviewer asked last week if I could update any quicker. Unfortunately, I cannot. I update this fanfiction once a week and it is by far my most frequently updated fanfiction I have published. I've written chapters well in advanced, but I just can't commit to twice weekly updates because, let's face it, we all have lives and jobs and assignments. This is a writing hobby and I **can** commit to updating this fanfiction once a week. I know a few fanfictions that do get updated twice weekly or even faster in some cases, but please also be aware my chapters are around 4000-6000 words. I hope you all understand.

On that note, I may not be able to update next week. I'm moving interstate and have no internet until I set it up myself. I may get to update, or I may not. If there's no update next Sunday Australian time, don't stress. I haven't forgotten about you. I will be updating as soon as I can. Thanks for your patience.

In the next chapter of **The Path of Water**: Chihiro starts her life in the Imperial Palace, including spending much needed time with Haku and getting to know the locals.

Please take the time to leave a **review** before you go!

~ **Arlia'Devi**


	11. XI: Eastern and Western

**The Path of Water**

By Arlia'Devi

Disclaimer: I do not own Spirited Away in any respect; all rights go to Hayao Miyazaki and associates. I make no money from this.

**The Path of Water**

**XI: Eastern and Western**

"_Keep love in your heart. A life without it is like a sunless garden when the flowers are dead."_

~ **Oscar Wilde**

There was water running in the bathroom off the main bedroom as Chihiro gathered Haku's robe off the floor and folded it on a dresser, save it get wrinkled for tomorrow.

"Chihiro?" Haku's voice echoed in the bathroom. "Are you coming in, or not?"

Chihiro grinned and made her way into the bathroom where her to-be-mate was sitting in the bath, steam filling the room. He was reclining back against the wall, watching her with those striking emerald eyes of his. Chihiro smirked and let her robe drop.

"Like what you see?" she grinned as he not so subtly meandered his eyes downward.

"You know I do," he replied, shifting in the bath a little. "Well, are you just going to stand there?" he asked, echoing her words from earlier.

Chihiro quirked an eyebrow and carefully stepped into the bath, submerging herself to the top of her breasts in the warm, herbal water. A small sigh escaped her lips as she scooted over to Haku's side, nuzzling his shoulder.

"We're finally together." he kissed the top of her head.

"I know," she replied. "I missed you terribly."

Haku shifted Chihiro into his lap then, parting her legs so they settled beside his thighs.

"I missed you as well." he replied.

Chihiro felt something a little strange brush against her in the stomach and she rolled her eyes.

"Again, Haku?" she sighed as if she was exasperated. "We only just finished!"

"I can't help how my body reacts, Chihiro – you've been gone for quite a few months, maybe it just wants to make up for lost time." He shrugged and tried to look innocent, but it wasn't working.

"If that was the case, we wouldn't be out of this room for a week," she kissed his neck gently; shifting herself so he was under her. Haku groaned.

"I don't have a problem with that," he replied huskily as Chihiro kissed his mouth, taking his lip between her teeth and dragging it out. His wet hand moved lightly up Chihiro's spine, making her arch her back until it buried itself into her damp hair.

Chihiro gently slid down onto him, one hand bracing herself on the bathtub lip and the other hand anchored on his shoulder as she used her knees to rock back and forth. Haku's hands were never still, roaming down her smooth stomach, then to her breasts, then down to her hips and rear. He loved the feel of her thigh's muscles, rippling under the skin as she used them to move over him.

Haku closed his eyes and let his head fall back, moaning as she gripped him. He'd never tried it in a bath and as a manager of a bathhouse, he probably should have thought of it sooner. The herbs and the warm water had relaxed his muscles and she was doing terrible things to him. She sped up suddenly and Haku knew he was going to come to an end very soon.

Chihiro suddenly let out a whimper and then a small cry, gripping Haku's shoulders and burying her head into the crook of his neck as she rode out her orgasm. Swiftly, Haku bucked his hips up as Chihiro began to slow, eliciting a startled cry from his lover. He grits his teeth and let out a snarl as the tell-tale feelings enveloped him. When Chihiro began to rock again, he lost it completely – the warm water and the feel of her tight body doubling him over in record time.

For a long time, they sat in each other's embrace. Haku was finger-combing the knots out of Chihiro's damp hair and Chihiro was contented resting against the chest of Haku, listening to his heartbeat slow and feeling his lungs rise and fall.

"Are you hungry?" he asked her tenderly. "Dinner would be served; we can go down a get a bite to eat.

Chihiro shook her head. "Maybe later. I just want to stay like this for a while."

"We'll both look like prune spirits if we stay in here any longer."

Chihiro smiled. "Are there any such things as prune spirits?"

"I don't know. Maybe we'll be the first."

Chihiro sighed and peeled herself away from Haku's shoulder to step out of the tub. There were cream towels hanging on the rack, and the cotton felt nice against her skin. Haku came up behind her and gently massaged her shoulders.

"I'm tired," she admitted gently as Haku kissed her.

"You're always tired."

"You would be too if you were a little human and had the afternoon – nee, day, I've had," she countered and Haku chuckled. "I'm tired… and hungry."

"Hungry now?" he chuckled, wrapping a towel around his waist. "Because I am such a good fiancé and fantastic lover," Haku clicked his fingers and lead Chihiro out to the small dining room where a small feast of food was resting. Chihiro's stomach growled in response. Haku chuckled.

The pair pulled on sleeping clothes before sitting down for the meal, though Haku should have worn a shirt since a scalding piece of marinated duck dropped on his chest and slid right down to his navel. Chihiro laughed as Haku picked off the piece of meat and threw it to the side and grabbed a handful of paper towels to dab at the sauce. It seemed Chihiro was still in the mood of being deliciously naughty because when she pushed the paper towels to the side and licked the sauce off her lover's chest it was both delicious and naughty and she felt fantastic.

"I'm warning you, Chihiro," growled Haku when she'd finished. "I have no qualms about locking the both of us in here for a week. It would certainly relieve a lot of stress on my behalf."

"Where's the fun in that?" Chihiro offered a cheeky smirk. "Half the fun is deceiving people and sneaking around."

Haku rolled his eyes and continued eating. "Vulgar humans," he muttered. Chihiro laughed.

There were hundreds of unanswered questions swirling in Chihiro's mind, but for the moment she was just happy to spend peaceful times with Haku. She knew in the back of her mind, the next few months there would be limited times like this and she forced herself not to say anything that would ruin the moment between them.

Chihiro looked around the Lord's chambers. It was larger and a lot more impressive than the room they'd shared at the bathhouse. There were three bathrooms, including the ensuite off the main bedroom – a large living area with a beautiful mosaic hearth. There were golden lounges with cream cushions, two of them facing directly opposite her and a beautiful, turquoise, gold and cream threaded Persian rug gracing the floor. There was also a study, with one wall dedicated to mahogany bookcases filled to the brim with books. The whole collection put Haku's to shame and Chihiro even noticed very old editions of human literature within the collection of tomes.

There were two guest rooms made up, looking neat and presentable with a double bed, a mirror and a small wardrobe – each with a small bathroom and each untouched and left behind closed doors.

"Perhaps you would like to have Chase or Rin stay over?" Haku replied, closing the door to the last guestroom. "That would be nice, wouldn't it?"

Chihiro nodded. There was one more room ahead, a large wooden door near their bedroom she'd missed when coming in. Suddenly, she was extremely curious.

"There's nothing in there?"

"Nothing?" Chihiro frowned, reaching for the doorknob. "All the other rooms were furnished. Why not this one?"

Haku reached to stop Chihiro opening the door, but she'd already taken a step into the room. True to his word, the room was bare. The walls were painted a soft yellow and the floorboards had been polished brilliantly.

"When they redecorated the chambers, I told them not to furnish this room."

"Why?" Chihiro asked.

Haku hesitated and gave a little shrug. "I didn't know what I wanted it to be."

The room was bare, and so close to their room and Chihiro knew what Haku was thinking – that maybe this would be a good room for a baby. That maybe they could make a home here. Maybe it would be alright and all their plans and hopes weren't lost.

Chihiro smiled.

"I think this room will be put to good use," she looked up to him and saw something swimming in his eyes. Hope, maybe? "One day."

He nodded and though his face was solemn, Chihiro knew her words had meant more to him than he was letting on.

"One day, then."

* * *

_The situation here is getting worse,_ Haku's eyes scanned over the letter left on his desk over and over again. _Most of the trade has stopped between our villages. My family is too scared to leave the village now. We see the soldiers from our houses; they seem to be getting closer and closer every day. I still smell the fires brought down with the southern wind. They must be getting closer – the embers have burnt holes through some of the village houses roofs._

Haku pushed the letter to the side. It had been a week since the carrier pigeon had returned, letter-less. He'd expected a prompt reply, and when it had not come back with the same pigeon, he'd expected one in the coming days. This was inexcusable.

Grabbing out stationary, Haku quickly penned a letter, signing and sealing it before heading out to the aviaries. The pigeon flew off, rising high in the sky before heading West. Haku sighed and headed back inside.

Senekular was nearby and approached Haku.

"Forces are growing over on the border," he admitted to his lilac-skinned advisor. "I'm worried why they would be at such a prosperous place…"

Senekular nodded. "Sending troops into the area is a risky option, but I believe it's the right one."

Haku shook his head. "No, it's too forward. I wish to speak to Jaikomaru before we do anything so rash."

"Speak to him?" Senekular frowned. "Visit the Western Lands?"

Haku nodded. "I have informed him of my visit. I will leave tomorrow morning."

Senekular's eyes grew wide. "So brash, my lord!" he cried. "Wouldn't it be more beneficial to visit the border?"

"I am going there first, it's on the way," corrected Haku. "This is what needs to be done – it was going to have to be done sooner or later, and it will be nice to know where we stand with the new Western Lord. What do you know of him, Senekular?"

Senekular shook his head." Very little, I am afraid. Sar'onga was arranging to meet him before his untimely death, I believe he wrote to him once but never received a reply."

"As am I? Is the Lord illiterate?"

"On the contrary, I have heard he is very intelligent," replied Senekular as they walked down the corridor. "Tea?"

"Yes," Haku nodded. The two men headed towards the mess hall.

"What I have heard of Jaikomaru is sparse. He's very young – a little younger than you, my lord. Very ambitious, I have heard, but also very courteous, but I have also heard he is very manipulative – this man always gets what he wants." Senekular shrugged a little then. They'd reached the tea stall within the mess hall and he got to work brewing himself a cup of tea. "Perhaps it is wise to visit him then, as I talk, I am convincing myself."

"And convincing me all the more," replied Haku.

Senekular smiled then and turned to his Lord. "And the lady, how is she settling in?"

"Well," Haku replied. "Thank you for asking. This palace is a lot different from the bathhouse, but we hope to settle in together." He regarded the lilac-skinned man seriously then. "I know you do not believe in the way I do things, Senekular, especially in regards to Chihiro… but I want to thank you for trying."

"Chihiro - is that her name?"

"Chihiro," he confirmed, sipping his tea. "Speaking of whom, I should inform the missus of my plans."

As Senekular watched Haku depart with a steaming cup of tea in his hand, he wondered how the Lord of the Eastern lands, one of the strongest individuals in the spirit world could be scared of the temper of one human woman.

* * *

Chihiro was walking with Ismene and Ayne in the Imperial gardens. The gardens were beautiful and extensive, and for a long time Chihiro and the ladies sat in the sun on sun chairs drinking tea and having cakes. Then they'd taken a walk to the rose garden, which were in beautiful bloom during the spring.

Along the south face of the Imperial Palace, blooming, leafy wisteria hung from the guttering and winded around the pillars. There were giant hydrangea bushes with leaves as big as Chihiro's head and flowers blooming in arrays of purple, pink and white.

There were small areas many workers of the palace were taking a break with a book, or a quick nap. A handful of tree and flora spirits were attending the gardens, pruning the hedges or mulching the soil under trees.

Ismene was much younger than Ayne and it showed as she ran forward and enjoyed the sunshine in her long white gown. Her wavy golden hair shone in the sunlight and even her skin, a beautiful olive hue, seemed kissed in the summer light.

"How did you and the Lord meet, my lady?" she asked Chihiro.

Ayne laughed. "Ismene is quite the romantic."

Chihiro smiled. "We met quite a long time ago when I was young – I was only ten and my parents had committed a crime by eating the food of the spirits and were turned into pigs. Anyway, he was very helpful in saving me and my parents from Yubaba – the witch that used to run the bathhouse near midnight town."

"I know that bathhouse," Ismene replied. "My sister always used to visit there. When are you getting mated? When is the ceremony?"

Chihiro couldn't answer that so she hesitated. With a small shrug, she admitted, "I don't know. When Haku became Lord, it put our plans on halt a little."

"Haku…," Ismene giggled to Ayne.

Ayne frowned. "Lord Kohaku," she corrected.

"That was his name before he remembered it," Chihiro explained. "His real name is Kohaku, but he doesn't mind some people calling him Haku… his friends."

"You'll address him properly, thank you, Ismene," clarified Ayne.

Ismene, however, was on the next topic. "So Haku is a dragon. I've never seen his transformation."

Chihiro laughed. Ayne rolled her eyes at the girl's inquisitive nature. "He only uses it usually for travelling."

Ayne looked over Chihiro's shoulder for a moment and motioned to Ismene, who looked up and promptly rose and bowed.

"My Lord," they both acknowledged the well dressed, graceful man that approached them.

"Ladies," he nodded. "Can you give me a moment with Chihiro?"

"Of course, my Lord," Ayne said and ushered Ismene away, who was happy just to peep on the couple. Haku took a seat beside Chihiro in the garden dining setting and exhaled contently.

"This is nice."

"It is, isn't it?" Chihiro laughed. "Ayne and Ismene took me out for morning tea."

Haku chuckled. "So you can do even less work than you did at the bathhouse."

Chihiro rolled her eyes. "You know I was the glue holding that all together."

Haku considered this for a moment before admitting, "You're going to hate me."

Chihiro suspiciously narrowed her eyes at Haku. "Why?"

He pulled a face. "Want to visit Zeniba?"

"Haku!" she cried. He seemed startled at her outburst and tried to make her lower her voice with a gesture of his hands. "I just got here and you already want me to be gallivanting around the lands?"

"I have to make a quick trip to the Western Lands tomorrow morning – I'd like you to be somewhere safe. I'm not ready to leave you alone at the Palace and you haven't visited Zeniba in months; you'd be due for a visit."

That was true, Chihiro considered. She did owe her granny a visit, but that didn't escape the fact that she was tired from travelling, from living up in the air and out of a suitcase. She wanted normalcy for a little while, but then soon realised that 'normalcy' may be something she never received. What was normal between them now, it was hard to discern.

"How long will you be gone?"

"A day," he replied. "I'll drop you at Zeniba's tomorrow morning, and pick you up the next day. I have some business acquisitions to attend to, and I have to check up on the East-West border also. I had an elderly man report that there have been some problems."

Chihiro nodded. "Well, be safe, won't you?"

"Of course I will," he replied with a small chuckle.

"Don't leave me at Zeniba's for another three months!" Chihiro warned. "I can promise you I'll return at least twice my size from all the food she'll force feed me."

"I don't doubt that for a second."

* * *

Sorry for the delay, but I'm finally moved in and back to University. The whole process took a little longer than I'd anticipated so thanks for not hounding me with angry PMs demanding where the update is, I do appreciate that. One reviewer stated they didn't mind the break in updating as long as I don't forget about the story, and I can safely say I will not forget about the story. For one, I'm quite invested in it, two, my editor would probably hound me for the chapters because she loves reading them and it's one of the perks of the job to know what happens before everyone else (despite editing work), and three, you guys who constantly review my work makes me motivated to churn out some more.

If you find any errors in this piece, it's my fault. My editor does do quite a good job. Also, please look out for regular weekly updates now everything has settled down here.

The lovely people who reviewed last chapter were:

**Gearhead Fenton, raining-down-hearts, BlackMoonStar10, Sokka2Me, Avalons' Wish, LadyLunaTwilight, iluvmycorgi22, Silent-Mousie, ziggy zee, akira-chan101, ulquihime798, Watermelon23, Have a Nice Dream, Bluebird123, Carly, WhisperToTheWolves, KaMaNd114, michelle88222, WhiteTiger246, Randomsam123, DemonChild94, litugreen, LeeshyLoo** and **carebear969.  
**  
Thank you!

I'm trying to write a few different projects at the moment: one, finishing off this fanfiction, two: my own original novel and, three, a Thor fanfiction after watching that movie and getting totally hooked. I try not to give myself too many works in progress at a time that need to be updated frequently, but I just can't help it – I want to write it all! Please look out for the Thor fanfiction coming out in recent weeks if you're interested in that fandom!

Next time on the Path of Water: Chihiro visits her dear Granny Zeniba while Haku visits the Western Lands. What's Granny been up to and what news does she have for Chihiro?

Please review! I love them so!

~ **Arlia'Devi**


	12. XII: One Day Coming

**The Path of Water**

By Arlia'Devi

Disclaimer: I do not own Spirited Away in any respect; all rights go to Hayao Miyazaki and associates. I make no money from this.

A/N: This is a super long chapter and I hope the contents of it more than makes up for my short absences in recent weeks. Now that everything is running smoothly again, please expect the regular weekly update of The Path of Water on a Sunday, Australian Eastern Standard time.

**The Path of Water**

**XII: One Day Coming**

"_Nearly all the best things that came to me in life have been unexpected, unplanned by me."_

**~ Carl Sandburg **

Zeniba was eagerly awaiting the arrival of her darling granddaughter and when she felt the whole cottage shake, she knew Chihiro had arrived.

Zeniba opened the door to Haku, in all his dragon-like glory giving his fiancée an affectionate nose-nuzzle before backing up and taking to the sky again. Chihiro watched as the dragon took to the early morning sky before turning to Zeniba.

"Hi Granny," she beamed, entering the cottage. "Thanks for letting me stay on such short notice."

"It's no problem, my dear," replied Zeniba, closing the door to the cottage. "It was a nice surprise, actually. I wanted to see you since you got back, but I didn't think I was up for visiting the Imperial Palace."

Chihiro nodded and took a seat at the dining table. There wasn't a fire in the hearth on account of it being a warm spring morning. Granny went to the kitchen and began putting a kettle on as No Face appeared from the hallway and moved over to the hearth.

"Not today, No Face," Zeniba said. "I think it's going to be a wonderful day. We may put the fire on in the evening though."

No Face grunted his approval and went to sit at the end of the table. Zeniba got another cup of tea out from the cupboard and set the cup and saucer by No Face.

"So, my dear, how is the Palace?" Zeniba asked, brewing the pot of tea and setting in on the table.

"Big," admitted Chihiro sheepishly.

Zeniba laughed. "Are you settling in?"

"I don't know," Chihiro replied. "Last night was only my second night there before being whisked away. It's different – perhaps I'll just have to get used to it, and stop comparing it to the bathhouse."

"It's funny a building of such stress and turmoil for you both has turned into your home," Zeniba commented. "I remember all anyone ever wanted to do was leave, and now that they have the option, they all seem to remain – even when the spirits go, they come back quickly."

Chihiro shrugged. "I suppose the bathhouse was normal for me. We had our friends there, and the routine was busy but we had time to relax. It was close to home for me, as well."

Zeniba considered this for a moment and nodded. It was true; most of the spirits that had once been under slavery and left the bathhouse had come back when Haku had taken over from his sister. Even Haku, himself, had desired the bathhouse back – for reasons Zeniba could not discern. Perhaps he'd liked how close it had been to the human world and the memories he held in the district close to where his river had run through. Maybe he'd thought it simply to be a good business venture.

"Well, my dear, what jobs can we get you doing today?" Zeniba hummed. "No Face, are you going to be working on the back garden today?"

No Face grunted and nodded his approval.

"We'll all have a great day outside then," Zeniba said. "We'll breathe in some fresh air."

When Bou awoke, Zeniba made a large breakfast that filled Chihiro to the brim. There was a fruit platter, a few plates of pancakes with butter and syrup, toast with jam and a large pitcher of orange juice. Chihiro took a few pancakes and nibbled on the edge of the toast, but Bou seemed that he was more than contented to clear the table by himself. Chihiro would not have been surprised if the baby had even licked the plates clean, but then again, he _was_ a growing boy.

After breakfast No Face went out to the garden and worked on a large patch of daisies. Bou soon joined and sat down near No Face, digging into the ground.

"Granny says I should dig a big hole here," he said to Chihiro. "Then, when it's big enough, we're going to put fishes in it."

"You're making a fish pond?" Chihiro asked.

"Yes," nodded Bou. No Face grunted in approval.

"The garden looks so great – you both do a really good job."

The garden was very beautiful. There were many small shady areas under trees one could sit in and read a book, surrounded by blooming flowers. The garden was cosy and quaint.

Zeniba approached them with a pitcher of lemonade and a few glasses. "And would you believe I don't even cast any spells – all those flowers and trees grow on their own."

"I went for a walk around the Palace gardens yesterday," Chihiro said. "They're enormous."

"They must put mine to shame," Zeniba chuckled. "All of my bulbs are flowering because it's spring – all the tulips and daffodils. Spring brings about new life."

The air was sweet out in the garden and the sun was warm but not too hot. Bou finished digging out a small fish pond and then was given the task of finding large stones to fill the bottom with. Chihiro went with Bou into the forest, picking out the stones large enough. The baby picked them up with ease and put them into a small wicker backpack before heading back to Zeniba's.

Zeniba had sealed the soil with a spell, so Bou placed the stones in to flatten the bottom. Chihiro passed the stones to Bou, struggling to pick up some until Zeniba scolded her for straining herself and said 'that is what magic is for'.

When the fish pond was completed, No Face added buckets of fresh water to fill it to the brim before Bou revealed a small batch of koi eggs they'd bought for the occasion. Gently he placed them in the pond, letting them sink to the bottom. In about a week, Zeniba said, they would hatch.

"What good work you all did today," Zeniba said. "I always wanted a pond to bring in more frogs - I just love the sound of frogs."

"You should have run the bathhouse then," Chihiro replied with a chuckle. "Frogs and slugs galore."

"Slugs," Zeniba pulled a face. "Oh yuck."

The household headed inside for lunch, and Chihiro found herself quite starved in the early afternoon from the day's events. Zeniba cut up a leg of ham and made a tossed salad before boiling teas and offering an assortment of sugary treats. Chihiro didn't doubt, like Haku said, if she had stayed at Zeniba's instead of her family's, she would have returned considerably heavier.

"So this wedding of yours has been put on hold," Zeniba said.

"For the moment," Chihiro admitted. "We had hoped to have it in the coming months, but no preparations have been made - Haku's just started his new job at the palace. We just don't have time to organise such an event."

"That's a shame," Zeniba sighed. "I was so looking forward to it as well. Would you like to see the dress I'm wearing to it?"

Chihiro laughed. "You're organised. Sure."

Zeniba ran to her bedroom and Chihiro heard a lot of crashes of clutter before Zeniba returned to the dining table with a great burgundy frock, similar in cut to the one she always wore, but this one was made of expensive silk and had many jewels sewn into the bodice.

"That's beautiful," Chihro said, rubbing the smooth material between her fingers.

"Isn't it? And it was on sale, too! I bought it decades ago in the High City but I have never found an occasion to wear it. I've tried it on – it still fits!"

"Good for you," Chihiro grinned. "I think my mother still fits into her wedding dress and she's been married for twenty four years. I hope I was blessed with her high metabolism in my older age."

Zeniba began clearing the table, leaving the gown over the lounge. Chihiro yawned.

"Go have a nap, dear," Zeniba cooed from the sink. "You were up early today – that dragon must be a rough ride."

"Not the smoothest," Chihiro admitted, stretching her bones and feeling them crack. "I think I will take a nap. I've been so tired recently – all this moving around and changes are taking it out of me."

Chihiro left the table then and retired to the small guest room she normally slept in. There wasn't much to the bedroom – a large wooden wardrobe with wrought iron handles and a single bed done up in a simple blue and yellow spotted cover. Chihiro closed the blinds, then the door and slipped into bed.

Sleep came quickly.

* * *

"Sen's been sleeping for a long time," pouted Bou. "We should wake her up."

"Probably," hummed Zeniba. Chihiro had been sleeping for an hour and a half. It was almost four o'clock in the afternoon. No Face was outside, sitting amongst the peonies in the front garden, basking in the mild afternoon sunlight.

Bou sighed and looked around the room. "I thought she came to play with me."

"Sen's had a lot going on in her life," Zeniba explained gently. "But maybe she might play with you tonight." The old witch saw the huffy expression on her nephews face and sighed. Rising from the seat, she said, "Come on then, we'll go wake her."

Bou smiled and padded down the hallway. Zeniba gently opened Chihiro's door, letting the light flood in on a small figure curled up in bed. Chihiro rolled at the disturbance and yawned, before her eyes fluttered open.

"Sorry," she said croakily. "Have I been sleeping for long?"

"Almost an hour and a half."

Chihiro groaned. "I'm sorry; it only felt like five minutes."

"Aunty said if we didn't wake you up you wouldn't go back to sleep tonight," Bou interjected. "And I wanted you to play with me, too."

Chihiro laughed and rolled out of bed and rubbed her eyes. "Sorry Bou, I guess I was so tired from trying to look for all those big rocks with you this morning."

"But that wasn't even hard work!" pouted Bou and waddled out of the room. Chihiro laughed gently and finger-combed knots out of her bed hair before grabbing a hair tie and quickly fixing it into a bun.

"Oops," she muttered to Zeniba. "I really didn't mean to sleep that long."

"You obviously needed it, dear."

Chihiro rolled her eyes. "That's something Haku would say to me."

"If your body is tired, you should sleep. You're always trying to keep up with Haku but sometimes spirits and humans run at different levels – you can't expect to be on the same page all the time, Chihiro – you're only human."

"That was a low jab, Zeniba, and you know it," Chihiro muttered before heading out into the kitchen. Bou had a chess table set up on the dining table. Chihiro looked at it and knew she didn't have the mental energy to actually attempt to beat the baby.

Four games later, Chihiro and Bou were on equal terms. It was amazing what sort of pick-me-up tea could be and she'd found a way to checkmate Bou without the baby noticing it. It seemed he'd taken the human granted, and definitely stepped up his game in the third match.

No Face had come in to watch the show and even Zeniba sat down for a little while, watching the two go at it in a war of the minds. Despite his appearance, Bou was a good chess player.

"I have a game of Chinese checkers if you're bored of chess," Zeniba offered. "But after dinner – can you two clear that off now, please?"

"Yes Aunty," Bou replied and carefully picked up the chess board, being mindful not to disturb any pieces and put it down on the rug near the hearth – of which was warm with a small fire flickering within its recesses.

A large pheasant was placed on the table, shining with a golden glaze. Beside that there were roast potatoes and other assorted vegetables.

"Haku was right," Chihiro chuckled as a knife began to carve the large bird magically, depositing two and half pieces exactly onto each plate. "He said that had I stayed at your place, Granny, instead of my parent's I would have returned much heavier."

"Can't have you withering away to a stick and bone, Chihiro," Zeniba winked.

"I still have my wedding dress to fit into," protested the human. "I need to keep my figure."

Zeniba shrugged a little but said nothing. The meal smelt fantastic so Chihiro dug in. The pheasant was delicious and sweet with the golden glaze. Bou had already gone for seconds before Chihiro had finished her meal, and it seemed he was happy to finish off the bird and then some. He was a big baby – he must have had a tremendous appetite.

"Now that was something else I wanted to talk to you about, Chihiro," Zeniba announced suddenly, putting her knife and fork on top of a clean plate. Chihiro had finished her dinner as well.

"What, Granny?" Chihiro shot her a quizzical look across the table.

"Haku's coming to pick you up tomorrow morning, yes?"

"Yes," Chihiro nodded. "The train is a one-way ride these days."

"Well, how long do you think you should still be riding him in your condition, Chihiro? It's dangerous."

"My _condition_?" Chihiro frowned. "Dangerous – what in the world are you talking about, granny? Haku's very safe – he's never dropped me."

Zeniba regarded her granddaughter seriously then, her eyes as wide as dinner plates and her upper lip twitching a little. To Chihiro, she looked more like her sister, Yubaba, than ever before. Had Chihiro not been so confused, it would have been comical.

"You mean you don't know?" Zeniba cried, flabbergasted.

Chihiro laughed and went to take a sip of water. "Know what?"

"What doesn't Sen know, Aunty?" Bou asked innocently.

"Chihiro," Zeniba cried, a grin set on her face. "You're pregnant!"

Chihiro choked on the water as it flowed down her throat, bringing a little back up into the glass and wiping the rest on the back of her wrist.

"What!?" she cried, staying away from obscenities in front of smaller spirits. "That's impossible! Zeniba, that's ridiculous – I can't be _pregnant_!"

Zeniba shook her head and looked deadly serious. "Chihiro, there's no two ways about it. You are pregnant."

Bou looked to his aunty. "Sen's going to have a baby?"

No Face clapped in celebration, grunting in a sing-song kind of way.

"I have that spell on me – it's 100% effective," Chihiro tried to reason, as if she was trying to convince herself that this could not have happened.

"Our magic is not as strong in the human world," Zeniba explained. "It's no surprise the spell weaned while you were away."

"But I've been away before, and it's been _fine_-,"

"You were away for three months – not a week or two, Chihiro. When you came back, the spell kicked back in. Did you," Zeniba's eyes travelled to Bou who was listening in anticipation.

Chihiro's face collapsed into her hands. "Yes!" she cried, suddenly realising and understanding everything. "One night about five weeks ago." She shook her head. "I don't understand why Haku would not have noticed it. What if he did, and didn't tell me?"

Zeniba shrugged. "I don't think Haku has noticed it yet, it's barely there. Five weeks is not very long and Haku is a very busy dragon these days. He was probably never looking for anything like that."

Chihiro sighed and looked to the hearth. She was _pregnant_ and she didn't know what to do.

"I'm sorry," she felt Zeniba's arms wrap around her and be pulled into her warm embrace. Chihiro felt something warm and wet on her cheeks and only then realised she had been crying. "I thought you knew."

Chihiro hugged her Granny tighter.

* * *

They didn't play Chinese checkers. Bou went to bed early and Chihiro stayed up, sitting with Zeniba in front of the fire. Her brain was trying to comprehend what had just passed, but was struggling. She tried to remember the last time she'd had a period, but couldn't. That should have been a warning sign, but Chihiro really had not noticed the absence of her monthly cycle with everything that had been happening. Even if she had noticed its absence, she would have put the disappearance down to stress and that would have been that.

Zeniba sat in the armchair near the fire place. Chihiro's legs were curled up to her knees.

"What are you thinking, Chihiro?" Zeniba asked.

Chihiro shrugged and her mouth was suddenly dry.

Licking her lips she said, "I'm not sure. I'm just thinking about our lives in the palace and how this all could have been different if we were still living in the bathhouse. I keep thinking that maybe this baby isn't right for us. I keep thinking how upset Haku would be if I told him about that…," her hands drifted down to her abdomen. It was flat. "And then keep thinking how fantastic it would be to have the baby, and how happy Haku would be – _will_ be, when I tell him about it."

Zeniba smiled. "The baby will not arrive for many months yet. Things at the palace will settle down by then. People wait decades just for a pinch of the happiness and good things you receive Chihiro. This child is a blessing."

Chihiro breathed out a shaky breath. "I'm just nervous I suppose. I wanted everyone to get used to me at the palace before I got pregnant – hell, I wanted to get used to everything before I got pregnant." Chihiro grinned and tapped her stomach. "You came two or three years too early, little one."

"I was worried you were going to make a bad decision," Zeniba admitted.

Chihiro shook her head. "I could never," she said. "It's not its fault."

"It's not anyone's fault," Zeniba replied. "You did not know."

Chihiro sighed. "I suppose," she muttered. "I wish I would have thought about that more. He'd told me once about his magic weaning in the human world, but it was honestly at the back of my mind."

Silence fell over the two for the moment. Chihiro watched the flames flicker in the hearth and her thoughts drifted to Haku. She wondered if he was okay – if he'd be back for her in the morning very early. Then she began to wonder how far along it would be before she was going to show, the gestation period – would it be different because the baby was a half-dragon, half-human offspring? Suddenly, she wanted her mother.

"How far along did you say I was?" Chihiro asked.

"You said five weeks," Zeniba replied. "It feels like such. Any offspring created in the last few days you would have been back I would not have been able to pick up, but the baby's been in there for quite a while."

"Did you know?"

"As soon as you walked in. I thought you knew."

"All that 'don't strain yourself', 'we don't want you becoming skin and bones' stuff was because you knew I was pregnant. You're trying to feed me up." Chihiro shook her head.

"You shouldn't be flying on that dragon for much longer," Zeniba said. "Much too dangerous."

Chihiro sighed and leant back, drumming her fingers across her stomach.

"Chase's pregnancy was only three months, do you think-,"

Zeniba shook her head. "Yours will be more or less the same as human women – maybe a little longer. No longer than eleven months."

Chihiro sighed. This was all so fast – it was so hard to comprehend. She had thought it would have been hard enough adjusting to the Imperial life with Haku, let alone trying to work a baby into the picture.

Chihiro laughed then and looked to her grandmother, soon to be a great grandmother. "How in the world am I supposed to tell Haku?"

Zeniba grinned. "I'd die to be a fly on the wall."

* * *

Haku showed up mid-morning to pick Chihiro up and the two stayed for a quick cup of tea before heading off. Zeniba had strictly told Bou not to spill the beans, so to speak and the baby did a good job keeping his word. Haku was as eloquent as usual and looked fine. When asked how the acquisitions had gone, he responded,

"Better than I had hoped."

It seemed he'd returned to the palace late that evening, but Chihiro was happier staying a night at Zeniba's rather than getting tossed around back and forth between places as she had the day before. She'd had a restful sleep that night, despite everything that had happened. The only thing that nibbled at her was how to tell Haku she was pregnant and she mulled over this thought watching him sip on his tea across the table.

"Well," announced Haku, gracefully rising to stand. "We'd better get going, Chihiro. I still have to get all the daily appointments out of the way."

Zeniba tutted playfully. "Busy, busy Haku."

"You have no idea," he replied honestly.

Zeniba gave Chihiro a discerning look. Chihiro replied with a nervous smile.

The ride home was smooth, at least. Chihiro didn't know if it was because Haku may have possibly known her little secret or he was worried she'd had a big breakfast and didn't want her upchucking on his scales. If she had been a gambling woman, Chihiro put money on the latter.

The day continued as normal. Chihiro bathed and got dressed in a beautiful robe for the day. It seemed her entire closet had been fitted out in her absence for more regal attire. Chihiro couldn't complain, however, the kimonos were exquisite.

It was lunchtime and Chihiro felt the pangs of hunger. She made her way to the throne room where Haku was doing his daily appointments. He was currently taking a break, talking to another staff member in the Imperial Palace so Chihiro entered.

"Hello," Haku greeted warmly as Chihiro approached. "You look lovely today."

"Thank you," Chihiro smiled. Haku was currently speaking to a young adolescent looking spirit with floppy curly black hair and a tall skinny figure. The boy stuttered and fumbled his papers before bowing.

"My lady," he said graciously, coming up from the bow.

Chihiro smiled, not sure how to respond. She was used to the formal address – she was often called "mistress" or "lady" at the Bathhouse, but the true formality was a little lost on her. Instead, she turned her attention to Haku.

"Are you hungry? It's lunchtime and I'm starved."

Haku quirked a brow. "I thought Zeniba would have filled you to the brim with all sorts of breakfast dishes," he said, signing something and handing it to the young attending. The boy, once receiving the letter, left. "I can't at the moment, Chihiro – sorry. We'll have dinner tonight together, when I'm a little less busier."

"Good," Chihiro replied with a small smile. "Because I have something for you."

"For me?" his mouth turned up into a small grin. Chihiro watched his eyes circle the throne room and then the balconies that rose along the very high ceiling, at least four stories high. "Care to elaborate."

Chihiro rolled her eyes. "I think your gutter mind is elaborating enough for me."

"Only if you have another set of those undergarments you wore," he replied lowly.

"Don't count on it."

Haku pouted. "I look forward to ending work and coming home and relaxing… with you."

Chihiro sighed and headed off. Her stomach rumbled.

"There's a mess hall down the hallway. Second left, then first right. You won't miss it."

Chihiro nodded and laughed. "Alright, see you later tonight."

Haku grasped her hand and tugged her back gently, weaving his fingers through hers. He pressed a gentle but passionate kiss against her lips, a promise of more to come later no doubt.

"I love you," he murmured as he broke away, the sentence a hot breath caressing her lips. Chihiro smiled and felt her insides melt.

"I love you, too."

* * *

The day passed pleasantly. Chihiro had lunch and ate in the mess hall. Ismene was present and was happy to have a chat for a while. Ismene's age was evident in contrast to Ayne's. Chihiro felt sometimes she was talking to a young woman of around sixteen or fifteen, a shy, reserved young woman but no doubt an intelligent one.

After lunch, Chihiro slept for a few hours. She'd been increasingly tired the last few days but had simply put it down to stress and lost hours sleep. Apparently not. Before drifting off to sleep, she vaguely wondered when the morning sickness would kick in.

Not for a long time, she hoped.

It was mid-afternoon when Chihiro work and she'd slept for an hour and a half. Her hair was a mess and for a while she laid on the bed watching some of the workers in her private garden tend to the vegetation. She wondered how she'd tell Haku. True, she was eagerly anticipating his reaction to her news.

_Should I just tell him straight out, 'Haku, I'm pregnant?'. That would get it out in the open, no beating around the bush._

_Should it be more romantic than that? _

_What if he already knows and doesn't know how to tell me? Would he do that?_

Chihiro groaned and shoved her head into the pillow. It was barely a foetus and she was over thinking things regarding it. Sighing and rolling over, Chihiro rubbed her flat stomach.

_I wonder if it will be a girl or a boy. I wonder what Haku wants. I wonder when he'd be able to tell._

_I wish my mum was here._

It was growing late in the afternoon so Chihiro brushed out her hair and pinned it back with a white ivory comb then spent time out in the garden, talking to some of the spirits who were tending to a large line of hedges. They seemed surprised she was talking to them, but were courteous none the less.

Chihiro felt Haku approach from behind. She knew it was Haku because one of the gardeners had looked behind her shoulder, a little startled and had stopped talking immediately. Her hair was pushed away from her neck delicately and Haku kissed the skin. The gardeners averted their eyes and went back to working.

"You scared me half to death!" she chided.

"Won't do that again, will I?" he grinned against her cheek. "I don't want to lose you over something so petty. Are you hungry?"

"No," Chihiro shook her head. "It's still early, I can wait a while yet."

"Good," he smiled and stood up. "I'm going to take a bath." The gardeners were leaving the courtyard now, their work finished. Haku waited until they had left before grinning. "Feel like joining me?"

Chihiro shook her head and laughed. "Unfortunately not. Go have a bath, though. You smell."

Haku frowned and retreated back into the room before closing the door to their ensuite. Chihiro let out a shaky breath and smoothed out her kimono. Her mind was running a million miles an hour and she wondered how in the world she was supposed to pull this off.

Chihiro swallowed thickly as she ate her dinner. There was a horrible silence between them as they ate and Haku looked up briefly wondering if everything was alright, which only made it worse. He leant over to grab a bottle of wine and popped the cork off.

"Let's celebrate," he smiled and went to fill up Chihiro's glass. "A toast: to a successful business meeting in the Western Lands."

Chihiro quickly swiped her glass away as Haku went to pour the wine.

"Not tonight, Haku," Chihiro replied.

"But I just opened it," Haku protested, filling up his glass in the meantime. "We can celebrate."

She shook her head. "I just don't really feel like it tonight, that's all."

"But it is expensive and I've uncorked it now…," he pouted in a cute childish manner. "Don't let me drink it all by myself."

"I don't want to. I'm sorry. I'm just happy with water."

"You've been drinking water all day." Another glass appeared in his hand and he filled it, a little higher than he had filled his own and placed it in front of Chihiro. He was stubborn if not anything. "I was thinking we could maybe get a little drunk, maybe I'd give you a massage." He shot her a flirtatious look across the table. Had Chihiro not been in the situation she was in, she would have accepted it in an instant.

"I'm sorry, Haku," she pushed the glass away. "I really don't want it."

He sighed and sat back down. "I wish you would have said something before I opened the bottle."

"I didn't get the time to," she countered quickly. "It was opened so quickly."

"I thought I'd at least diffuse the situation between us," he frowned then. He was angry, now, just a little. Angry at himself, mainly, frustrated the night wasn't going to plan and he wasn't making it any better.

"The situation?" she shot back and suddenly realised they were on the brink of a fight. Both sensing the situation, they mentally took a step back. Chihiro breathed in and out deeply, calming herself. This wasn't the way the evening was supposed to go.

"Sorry," she murmured, looking up to Haku.

"No, I'm sorry," he replied. "I shouldn't have been so insistent. It's fine if you don't feel like a drink tonight." He sipped on his own wine. It didn't taste as sweet in his mouth.

"It's all right," Chihiro replied.

Haku sighed and took a bite of his food.

Chihiro looked at the glass of wine. It was clear yellow and bubbling. She'd tried it before and it tasted delicious. Pairing several glasses, an erotic massage and a little activity after that had been one very enjoyable night. Chihiro felt her mouth grow dry as she looked up to Haku.

"Haku," she said. The dragon looked up to her but said nothing.

"I'm pregnant."

* * *

Howzat?

Thank you so much to those people who reviewed the last chapter – I know there was a bit of time between my days off, but I really appreciate you guys checking back regularly.

**orangegirl101, Avalon's Wish, Superblueowl, DragonofYang, Sokka2Me, WhisperToTheWolves, DemonChild94, ulquihime7980, Wide-Eyed-Wonderer, Watermelon23, BlackMoonStar10, WhiteTiger246, michelle88222, iluvmycorgi22, Reviewer, Roseskyangel, LeeshyLoo, Reviewer**, and **carebear969.**

This has to be one of my favourite chapters. In fact, I quite honestly love writing pregnant characters. Pregnancy is such a beautiful thing, both in good and bad ways – it's amazing how your body changes to accommodate another person and I love writing about it.

So Chihiro is pregnant – there have been a few guesses from reviewers that this may happen. Congratulations to you if you guessed right!

I just published my Thor fanfiction on Monday called "Galaxias", which is Latin for Galaxies. If you like the Thor/Jane pairing, or The Avengers series (it's predominately movie-verse), head over there and share the love! Pretty please!

That's all from me this week. Again, this chapter is rather long so I thought it would be good to make up for my missing updates. Please take the time to leave a review before you go – I really do appreciate it and so love hearing from you!

I may even make a poll (my first poll!) on the gender of said child. Get your bets in now!

~ **Arlia'Devi.**


	13. XIII: Strictly Confidential

**The Path of Water**

By Arlia'Devi

Disclaimer: I do not own Spirited Away in any respect; all rights go to Hayao Miyazaki and associates. I make no money from this.

**The Path of Water**

**XIII: Strictly Confidential**

****_"Pregnant women! They had that weird frisson, an aura of magic that combined awkwardly with an earthy sense of duty. Mundane, because they were nothing unique on the suburban streets; ethereal because their attention was ever somewhere else. Whatever you said was trivial. And they had that preciousness which they imposed wherever they went, compelling attention, constantly reminding you that they carried the future inside, its contours already drawn, but veiled, private, an inner secret."**  
~Ruth Morgan**_

"_Haku," she said. The dragon looked up to her but said nothing._

"_I'm pregnant."_

The dragon's hand dropped from where it had been supporting his chin to the table and he straightened up. His eyes were wide and glossy and he didn't speak. Chihiro wasn't even sure if he was breathing. Had he heard her properly?

"Haku," Chihiro said nervously, getting up from her seat and moving over to the dragon's side. His eyes looked like marbles, staring out at nothing. Gently she took her hands in his and knelt down to his eye level. "Haku, are you alright?"

A tongue darted out to relieve his dry lips. His mouth felt dry and his throat was tight. He blinked a couple of times.

"You're what?" he murmured hoarsely.

"Pregnant," she repeated with a small smile. "We're going to have a baby. You're going to be a father."

He shook his head and squeezed Chihiro's hands gently.

"I'm glad I wasn't standing up for that news," he smiled weakly. "Is that why you wouldn't drink my wine?"

Chihiro nodded.

"How do you know?"

"Zeniba told me. Last night. I've been going over how to tell you all day."

He laughed gently. His mind was still completely boggled – how had this happened? What was going to happen now? "I'm glad you chose a time when I was sitting still. I don't think my brain works... Wouldn't I have felt it?"

Chihiro got up a little and pressed Haku's hand against her abdomen.

"Can you feel it?"

Haku focused for a moment, knotting his brow in concentration. After a moment, his hand jumped back a little and he shouted a swear word.

"There's something in there!" he cried with enthusiasm, putting his hand back to Chihiro's stomach and feeling again. "Wow, it's only really little."

"Zeniba said it wasn't any older than six weeks."

"Six weeks," Haku said and then thought for a moment. "Oh… _then_." He shook his head. "I should have known – I knew my magic wavered in the human world but that was literally the last thing I was thinking about. Obviously." His lips kicked up into a cheeky grin.

"Me either," she admitted. Gently she caressed Haku's cheekbone with her finger, brushing the hair from his eyes. "I'm pregnant, Haku."

He smiled a dazzling smile. Amazingly, his legs had begun to work again and Haku rose gracefully to kiss his mate passionately on the lips. Chihiro eagerly reciprocated, feeling Haku press her against his body eagerly. His kisses were incessant and when Chihiro moaned his tongue slipped in between her teeth. Before Chihiro had time to realise it, both his and her clothes were falling to the ground in a Hansel-and-Gretel style trail of intimacy and she had her back on the doona cover of their bed.

"Haku," Chihiro murmured. "What about dinner?"

"It'll be there later, you're not hungry are you?" he barely gasped out between kisses down her throat and collarbone.

"Not for food," she moaned, arching her back off the bed. She heard Haku moan somewhere below and giggled. That giggle turned to a gasp as she felt something hot and wet brush against the apex of her thighs.

"No...," he murmured against the freckles on her thighs. "I wanted to do it for a long time... thinking about it for a long time." He rumbled gently and Chihiro squeaked, flinching away.

"Do your worse, dragon," she said breathily and Haku was happy to comply.

Two hours later, Haku was tracing patterns over Chihiro's flat stomach, his magic touching the tiny life force that lie buried deep in her womb. It was so tiny and little, but he could feel it in there shadowed against her life force. He sighed and kissed her neck gently. She was dozing gently.

"I'm hungry," she murmured. Apparently Haku had been wrong, Chihiro was awake. "Is dinner still on the table?"

Haku nodded. "It's gone cold. I can get you something from the mess hall."

Chihiro shook her head and wriggled out of Haku's embrace, as disappointing as it was for the dragon. Haku pouted at the loss of warmth and then grinned when Chihiro returned with both their plates of food.

"Heat this up for me," she ordered, handing Haku the bowl and putting on a robe.

"Yes, my lady," Haku rolled his eyes but did was he was told. Chihiro sat beside her to-be-mate and swiped back the bowl of heated pasta, happily devouring it. Haku was happy just to lie by his mate, eat slowly and tried to go over all the wonders that had been bestowed on him today.

Soon enough, Chihiro had finished her meal and snuggled down to sit by Haku. She kissed him gently and then yawned.

"What do you want it to be – a girl or a boy?"

He shook his head. "I don't mind. As long as it's healthy and you're healthy and we're all happy. The kami have given me many blessings recently, and I don't intend on demanding any more from them than what they've given to me."

"I feel the same," Chihiro hummed. "Your mind must be running a million miles an hour – I know mine was."

"It's slowed down a little now," he admitted gently. "Though I think it was running faster than that. One of them was possibly decision to move forward our mating ceremony."

"Really?" Chihiro sat up. "Why?"

"You don't want to be mated before we have the baby?" he asked. "When I lived in the human world, it was customary for couples to be married before they conceived a baby. Many couples were married on the banks of my river."

Chihiro shook her head. "It's nice, but it's not customary." She shrugged. "I don't know how I feel about that – I've always wanted my parents there for the ceremony." She fell back into Haku's arms then and yawned. The dragon reached for the covers and draped it over them.

"By the time the equinox comes around again, you'll be rather large," Haku interjected. "And how are you supposed to tell your parents you're expecting – then? I'm sure they'll notice you have a cantaloupe hiding under your clothes by then. You won't be able to wear the dress you've purchased – unless the waistband accommodates."

"It doesn't," Chihiro sighed against Haku's chest. "I'll think about it."

"That's all I'm asking." He kissed her forehead gently. "It's late – we should get some rest. Have you been feeling ill at all?"

Chihiro shook her head. "Not really, which is good. I've just been hungry and tired."

Haku nuzzled into Chihiro's side and got into a comfortable sleeping position. "Well," he murmured and kissed her neck. "Let's sleep."

The lights to the apartment all turned off in unison.

* * *

It was early when Haku awoke the next morning to an empty and cold bed. It took a moment for his head to register that it had been Chihiro sleeping by his side last night and everything that had happened – she'd told him she was pregnant, despite all odds. He was going to be a father and his brain had ran so fast thinking about everything that needed to get done. He'd barely adjusted to life in the Imperial Palace, and they'd barely adjusted to Chihiro… let alone introducing a baby to the mix. He sighed and groaned into consciousness only to hear something horrible coming from the bathroom.

Rubbing his eyes, Haku stumbled to his feet. It smelt vile and the gurgling sound was echoing throughout the ensuite.

"Chihiro?" muttered, opening the door to find his love kneeling over the toilet and depositing the contents of her guts into the bowl.

"Haku," she groaned, the churning in her stomach not dissipating.

He pressed a soothing hand to her back and rubbed it gently.

"Morning sickness?"

Chihiro whimpered and nodded. "I haven't gotten it before now."

Haku sighed and grabbed a small washcloth, running it under the cold water faucet of the bathtub before gently applying it to Chihiro's neck and face, washing the bad taste from her lips. Chihiro groaned and leant against Haku's shoulder.

"Do you want to come back to bed? It's not even seven yet."

Chihiro shook her head. "Not yet… I still don't feel well."

Haku adjusted himself under her to sit on the tiles a little more comfortably as Chihiro reached for the chain to flush the toilet. That, at least, made the room smell a little better.

"We… we still need to talk," she spoke hoarsely. "About everything…"

"We have a lot to discuss, but it can wait," he smiled gently and wiped down the sweat rimming on her temple. "We don't have to decide it all now."

"I want to wait to tell people," she said, swallowing thickly. "My Mama always said to wait at least twelve weeks before telling someone you're pregnant, and we still have six to go. That's when you have a reduced chance of having a miscarriage."

Haku nodded. "I wanted to wait maybe longer than that."

Chihiro frowned. "How long?"

"Four to five months."

"What?" Chihiro frowned.

"Well, you can tell your friends and parents – like Chase and Rin, if they promise not to spill the beans, but I'm just worried," he traced a pattern along Chihiro's arm. "We just settled into the Palace where people here aren't that accepting of us… I'm sure you think announcing we're adding and creating a family might rub some people the wrong way." He shook his head. "I'm sorry."

"I understand, Haku," Chihiro said. "I-," she was cut off by the sound of gurgling in the back of her throat and suddenly lurched forward to spew into the toilet again.

"I thought the same," she said eventually, wiping her mouth on a piece of toilet paper and dropping it into the bowl. Then she sighed and leant back. "I wish my mum was here with me."

"Why?"

"She's had children… well, child," Chihiro explained. "Mum already knows what to expect; Mum would be able to help me out – tell me what to eat, what to do, you know, pregnancy stuff." Chihiro sighed. "Zeniba told me a little, but it's not the same as having your mum – someone who has gone through what you're going through."

"What did Zeniba tell you?" Haku asked, shifting a little under Chihiro on the cold tiled floor.

Chihiro hugged his arm. "How old she thought it was… how long she thinks gestation will be. We have to take in the factor that it's a half dragon baby," Chihiro laughed. "She thinks I might carry it for longer."

Haku made a face. "It's hard to tell. Dragons can stay in their eggs anywhere from three months to three years."

"This baby is not staying in my stomach for three years," Chihiro frowned, getting up out of Haku's lap and stalking towards the bedroom.

"It will stay in there as long as it needs to, Chihiro," Haku replied, tailing her. "You know as well as I do, human children are birthed when they are ready, not when the mother is ready."

"Then why don't we lay some eggs out in the garden?" she ushered to the private garden. "It's nice and warm out there. You could make a little nest!"

Haku gave his mate a quizzical look. "I cannot lay eggs; I am a male, Chihiro."

She collapsed against the bed. "I'm not carrying this baby for three years," she pouted. Haku looked at her as she began to cry. With a sigh, he went to sit by her.

"It's still early, Chihiro, why don't we go back to sleep," he offered gently, unnerved by the sudden emotional swings his partner was having. Usually she was so level-headed, this was catching him completely off guard. One moment she was happy and contented, and the next she was crying and upset. It reminded him of the time he'd make himself scarce before her monthly bleed. Gently, he rubbed her shoulderblade.

Chihiro rolled over and looked at Haku. He looked tired. His emerald eyes were red-rimmed and his hair was still tousled. He looked cute.

"Sure," Chihiro sniffed and rolled over. Haku laid down beside her and Chihiro curled into his side.

"I'm sorry," she murmured against his sleeping shirt. "I didn't mean to get upset."

"It's alright," Haku replied. "I was being silly. The baby isn't growing in an egg, it's growing inside of you. Three years is an unrealistic time for you to carry a baby. I don't think it will be much longer than nine months – maybe a little bit earlier if we're lucky."

Chihiro sighed. Haku looked down at his to-be-mate.

"Chihiro? Did you hear anything I just said?"

She hadn't.

* * *

Chihiro awoke to Haku getting dressed for the day. She was aching and tired, but gave her partner a small smile before stumbling to her feet.

"I left breakfast on the dining table," he kissed her cheek gently. "I have to go now, I have a morning meeting but I'd like to see you around lunchtime. I'll be in the throne room then, maybe we can get some lunch?"

Chihiro frowned and brushed some dust off the shoulders of his tunic. "Aren't you busy today?" she yawned.

He shook his head. "No – it's a Friday."

Chihiro rolled her eyes. She supposed some things were the same in the spirit world as they were in the human world.

"What are you doing today?"

Chihiro shrugged. "Eat some breakfast, get dressed. I usually wear myself out by two o'clock so I have an afternoon nap."

Haku rolled his eyes playfully. "The difficulty of being a pregnant woman."

"And, hope I don't spew my guts up in the process," Chihiro reminded. "My stomach is still a little sore."

"If you're not feeling well, tell Ayne to come and get me," he replied seriously. "Or get someone to call Ayne – if there's anyone I would trust to keep our secret here it would be her."

Chihiro nodded. "I will, if it gets bad."

Haku conceded and kissed Chihiro gently on the forehead. "I love you," he murmured gently.

Chihiro smiled and rubbed her nose along the bottom of his chin. "I love you, too."

He bent down a little then and rubbed Chihiro's stomach. "And I love you, little sesame seed."

"Sesame seed?" Chihiro laughed and backed away.

"The energy it's exerting, it's only very tiny – the size of a sesame seed. No wonder I couldn't feel it."

Chihiro laughed and rolled her eyes. "Go to work and leave me to be pregnant in peace."

Haku shot Chihiro a grin before leaving the apartment. The large front door closed quietly behind him.

Chihiro made a quick dash to the bathroom and spat the vomit that had crept up her throat for the last five minutes into the bowl.

When she had cleaned herself up, Chihiro made her way to the study where she intended on going over Haku's archive of books. She'd read cover-to-cover a lot of religion, festivals and customs of the spirit world but had been avoiding delving into the political sides of things, and frankly the politics section of the small collection of books that filled the back of the office was a little daunting.

Chihiro grabbed one book and sat down in Haku's office chair and began to read.

As expected, "Policies and Bills Passed from Atticus to Garrum" was dreadfully dull. Chihiro did not know who Atticus and Garrum were, only that by the look of the book and the presentation of the prose, they were from quite a long time ago.

Chihiro threw the book back into the bookshelf and sat back down on Haku's desk.

This desk was bigger than the one he had at the bathhouse. It had a small golden telephone on it, along with the buttons to make a phone-call. Chihiro was astounded at how human it looked.

Then there were lots of papers Chihiro didn't dare disturb. There were other regulation stationary items – nothing of great interest.

Chihiro pulled open the top drawer. There were the regular items – another pot of ink, blank papers, some more quills. Chihiro filed through the drawer, suddenly coming across a strange piece of paper folded in thrice. The paper was dusty and old and thin, so that the ink was coming through the other side. It looked like a letter.

Much too curious to be worried about snooping, Chihiro unfolded the letter. The calligraphy was big and hurried and only a few sentences made up the letter.

_You don't have long. Listen to me. Nothing is all it seems in the Western Lands. The man named Hotaru: the bakeneko can travel between worlds._

Chihiro's hands flew to her mouth. Her eyes reread the poor and large calligraphy before turning the paper over; trying to squeeze out any information she'd missed. The other side was blank. The letter was unsigned.

But someone knew of her, they knew she'd been in the human world and someone knew Hotaru – someone knew them, and Chihiro only hoped that this someone was on their side. Still, she couldn't shake off this feeling of being watched.

* * *

Haku entered the morning meeting a little late, but the members of parliament were already in a heated argument when he entered. His entrance didn't seem to dissipate the flying words, and as usual it was between the warring states of Ayne and Senekular. Dal, who had been absent at the last meeting on regards of being Chihiro's personal body guard was taking his seat next to Yaug.

"Can we have some quiet please," Haku announced. "It's far too early in the morning to be making such dreadful racket."

"That racket," replied Senekular. "Is about your apparent 'meeting' with the Lord of the Western lands."

"Ah yes," Haku replied. "That went rather well. He's quite a nice man."

"Then why have the soldiers not retreated from the border?" Senekular asked.

Haku frowned. "I asked as to why the soldiers were lining the border and the Lord replied he was monitoring the poaching of an rare and expensive fish scale – as the area has the highest trade in all our lands, it makes sense to trace the poachers from the trade routes back to their headquarters."

"Everything is in order, Senekular," replied Ayne.

"I also visited the village the old man was from – he was relieved to see me, and the village seemed to be in good condition. The soldiers are not near their village." Haku flipped open a folder that held a tightly bound pile of papers. "I'll keep track of the situation. This Jairomaku – no one told me what he looked like."

Senekular shrugged. "No one had ever seen him, my lord. Not even Sar'onga."

Haku nodded solemnly. "He said he never received any of my letters. I doubt to believe him, however – the pigeon always came back."

"Faulty pigeons?" Yaug offered.

Haku pursed his lips, his eyes going over a document to sign. "Perhaps."

Dal remained at the end of the table, looking at Ismene. She was always interested in politics, but kept her mouth shut. That was one of the things they had in common. Dal observed, but he did not speak unless, of course, he was called upon to. This, however, was one of the rare times he did bring up something in front of his Lord.

"That young man continues to ring," Dal announced, not bothering to acknowledge his lord formally. Haku didn't notice. "He always asks to speak to you."

Haku frowned. "When has he last called here?"

"Last night, long into the night when you had retired," Dal replied. "It was too late to disturb you."

"How does he contact us?" Senekular frowned. "Young scoundrel is all he is – who is he who thinks he can just call the Lord up and have a chat? Not when thousands of spirits line up to speak with him formally a week."

Haku shook his head. "What was his name again?"

"Shinji, my lord," Ayne replied. "I took the call."

"Shinji," Haku sighed and ran his hand down his face. "When he calls next, I will speak to him."

"He said he would call back tonight, at midnight," replied Dal.

"I'll be awake," he replied. "Transfer the call to my study."

"You'll only encourage him!" Senekular warned.

"He had useful information the last time he called us – I'm curious as to what he wants," he looked to Ismene. "When he calls, Ismene, I want you to trace the call. Find him."

"Do you want me to bring him back here, my lord?"

Haku shook his head. "No, not until we know what he wants and why he's calling. If it's only a child's prank, he will be punished accordingly. If he has much more malicious intentions, then he shall discover very quickly we are a force to be reckoned with."

Senekular sighed and Haku knew it to be a sign of acceptance.

"Do we have anything else to go over today?" Haku asked, looking at the clock. It had already been over an hour. "Nothing else to bring up?"

Ayne shook her head. A few more members shook their heads.

Yaug spoke, "What's your girlfriend's name?"

Ayne's eyes shot over to Yaug and she gave the obese, and often obscene red-skinned man a glare that could have killed.

"She's my partner to be mated," Haku clarified through clenched teeth, although he sounded quite eloquent. "And you shall address her as Lady Chihiro."

"Where is she today, my lord?" Ismene asked, excitedly.

Haku suppressed the answer of most likely depositing the remainder of her breakfast in the toilet, and instead answered. "I'm not too sure. I think she may be studying in the main library today – you're welcome to visit her, she would probably like the company."

"We have to finish our game of Chinese checkers," replied Ismene, before adding shyly. "Of course, when I finish my work, my Lord."

Haku nodded and closed up the folder before tucking it under his arm. "I suppose that means we're done here," he sighed and got up. Many of the members bowed before leaving the meeting room.

Before Ayne had begun to leave, Haku leant in and said very lowly against the shell of her ear, "Meet me at my quarters in fifteen minutes."

Ayne nodded and dropped her eyes to the papers she was gathering with deft hands. "Yes, my lord," she replied shallowly, watching the other members of parliament leave without as much as a second glance.

Ten minutes later, Haku entered his chambers again and left the stack of papers in his study, only to find Chihiro sitting on the desk chair, engrossed in a book she'd brought back from the human world.

"Hello," she smiled, dog-earing the book and setting it down. "I didn't think you'd be back for a little while yet."

"Ayne's coming around in five minutes," Haku explained. "I want to tell her you're pregnant."

"But it's a little early-," Chihiro replied. "I didn't want to tell Chase and Rin for another three or four week."

"I know," he said. "But I think this is different." He shook his head. "I just have this churning in my gut to protect you, and I think it's doubled now. Call me over protective, but I just think it's the right thing then there's someone else to look out for you. Someone not as busy as I am, who can, sadly, be there for you more than I can."

Chihiro nodded. "You're probably right." She sucked in a short breath. "But you're sure we can trust her? I've only known Ayne for a few days and I-,"

"We can trust her," he smiled gently and pushed a strand of hair behind her head. There was a gentle rasping at the door and Haku went to get it. Chihiro dusted off the front of her kimono and went to greet Ayne.

"My Lady," Ayne smiled and bowed a little. When she rose, she looked at Haku. "You had something you needed to tell me, my lord?"

Haku grinned a little nervously and looked to Chihiro. Gingerly she stepped towards him and clasped his hand, if not for his nerves than for hers.

"_We_ have something we want to tell you, actually," Haku clarified. Ayne waited expectantly. Chihiro swallowed thickly and urged her partner on.

"Well… you see," Haku grinned nervously, using his free hand to run it through his hair. "Um, we're going to have a baby."

Ayne made a strange little gasping noise as her hands flew to her mouth and her eyes grew wide as she regarded her Lord and Lady.

"Oh my Lord, oh my Lord," she repeated, but Chihiro realised she wasn't actually referring to Haku – more like in the kind of in the greater deity way. "Oh god…"

"That's not what I said, don't worry," Haku chuckled. Chihiro shot him a dirty look and he stopped instantly.

Clearing his throat, he stepped up to calm Ayne.

"I realise this may come as a shock, but it's under strict confidentiality we tell you this, Ayne. You have mine and Chihiro's trust."

Ayne calmed herself and managed a nod. "You're going to have a _baby_," she whispered, elated. "Oh congratulations."

"Thank you," Haku grinned and little and looked back to Chihiro.

"You must realise this may cause a lot of tension in the Imperial Palace," Chihiro said, stepping up to where Haku was failing. He was too busy thinking about the perks of fatherhood with Ayne, who was revelling how nice it would be to have a baby around the Imperial Palace. "If word got out too soon that I was pregnant…"

Ayne composed herself. "I understand, my lady. Rest assured I will not tell a soul. If you ever need anything, please don't hesitate to call me."

Chihiro smiled. "Thank you, Ayne."

The woman nodded and bowed. "I'll excuse myself." She exited the way she came.

Chihiro regarded Haku then, a small scowl forming on her face. "You're pathetic, Haku."

"What?" he pouted, following Chihiro back into the study. "I'm excited!"

* * *

Thank you to those people who reviewed the last chapter. I think we actually had a record number of those who reviewed, so thank you – it is fantastic! I also have a few readers telling me they've come over from The Path of Water Vol. 1 after waiting for an update. Sorry for any confusion about the story and me making another separate edition, but thanks for coming back and welcome aboard again!

Thank you to:

**fightergirl15, IloveItaHina, VegetaLoverr135, InuzukaGirl, skrt-invisiblereader, KaMaNd114, inuyashas-grrl97, MewMewCloud, Longhairdontcare, x3CandyLovex, Sokka2Me, GuetheDRider, LaShay112, akira-chan101, CutiePie144, LoVehUrTsO.o, Watermelon23, ulquihime7980, DemonChild94, WhiteTiger246, DragonofYang, Carly, Superblueowl, WhisperToTheWolves, michelle88222, KisaTiger12, Heartz4Jesus,Guest, LeeshyLoo** and **carebear969.**

I've made a poll on my profile, so please head over there to cast your vote on the gender. Just to let you know, the gender has already been determined so you're not really voting to decide, but you can brag about it (to who, I don't know!), if you're right. I can also let you know that it will not be twins, as much of you have speculated. Nor will it be triplets. Just the one baby is all the couple can handle, I think.

If recently started a new fanfiction for the Thor fandom – if you haven't checked it out and like the movie/comics/norse mythology in general, please have a look if you're pottering around my profile and show some love. It's but a baby yet, but I'd love to get some momentum and regular readers for it. It is going to be updated bi-weekly on a Thursday (Thor's day – tehehe).

That's all from me this week. Please leave a review before you go, and remember to vote!

Lots of love from Australia!

~ **Arlia'Devi**


	14. XIV: One Hundred Thousand Questions

**The Path of Water**

By Arlia'Devi

Disclaimer: I do not own Spirited Away in any respect; all rights go to Hayao Miyazaki and associates. I make no money from this.

**The Path of Water**

**XIV: One Hundred Thousand Questions  
**

_"There are four questions of value in life... What is sacred? Of what is the spirit made? What is worth living for, and what is worth dying for? The answer to each is the same. Only love."_  
**~Johnny Depp **

For the remainder of the day, Haku worked as usual. The day slipped on and it was rather uneventful, and with the commotion with the morning it was rather blissful to have such a smooth running afternoon.

When they'd told Ayne of Chihiro's pregnancy, she'd acted as Haku knew she had – like he, she was excited, but also horribly nervous as for what it meant for the couple within the Palace. Chihiro hadn't been all for it, because she had some strange superstition to keep it between themselves before twelve weeks had passed, but it seemed logical to him to tell Ayne. He trusted her and another set of eyes looking out for Chihiro definitely would not go astray.

As for his better half, he had not seen her since that morning. When he'd left her she'd gone back to her book, but she was not in the study on his arrival and the book she had been reading - _Trade and Prosperity_ by a spirit named Doshoples, was dog eared and set near a lamp. It growing into the mid-afternoon she was probably asleep on the bed. He was half tempted to emerge from his dimly lit, small abode but he knew if he found her, he would not return to the study. Chihiro always seemed exhausted these days although she'd done nothing strenuous all day. Haku shrugged and sighed, leisurely going over paperwork he realised he'd find the time to do today.

There was a request for reconstruction to the Imperial library – some pillars had begun to crumble and the centre was in desperate need for funding. He approved that. There was a letter handed to him from a military general and he read over that before penning a response that no, they did not need troops in the south. Sometimes he wondered if people wanted to start a war – what was so wrong about peace? What did they not like about happy times? Sending troops into the south would not only be a waste of tax-payers gold, but create tensions with the farmers that ploughed the southern fields, slow down the trade of the meats from the animals that grazed down there and the fish that was pulled from the Southern Sea.

_Am I the only sane one here? _He had to wonder to himself. Haku pushed the general's letter to the side before it really worked him up and went onto some mind-numbing everyday paperwork. How he wished he was only filling out order invoices for bath salts and herbs, or figuring out the payroll or making up rosters. That kind of work was easy – boring, but relatively easy.

By five o'clock, Haku had finished his paperwork and the dragon emerged from the study and stretched in the warm sunlight of his bedroom, feeling his back crack and his joints pop. Chihiro wasn't sleeping on the bed, but the ruffled doona and the lingering scent of her skin indicated that she had not long moved from that place.

He wondered where she was – he was so inclined for a bath and then dinner since it was late in the afternoon and wondered if she would like to join him.

Ten minutes later, Haku found Chihiro in the kitchen. Looking back on months following, he would despise the time he showed her directions to the establishment.

Chihiro was sitting by herself in the corner of the room, reading and drinking a cup of tea. It was a very normal picture. Not far from her, Ayne was also having a cup of tea, making it look as discrete as possible but gave her Lord a small grin as he passed.

As Haku approached Chihiro she turned and gave him a warm smile and sat across from her. Chihiro, between her lunchtime throw-up session and her afternoon nap had been doing some thinking herself. So caught up in the now of Imperial Palace living and pregnancy, she'd forgotten everything she'd held dear to her – namely, all those hundreds of thousands of questions Haku had promised her to answer.

"We need to talk," Chihiro said as Haku sat by her.

"Dear Lord, you're breaking up with me," Haku teased.

Chihiro rolled her eyes.

"What do you want to talk about, dearest?" Haku smiled, touching her hand gently across the table.

"A lot," admitted Chihiro. "Maybe it would be best to speak over dinner?"

"If you feel that way," Haku replied, spinning Chihiro's cup and taking a sip of tea himself. "I'm starved – can we have dinner soon?"

Chihiro nodded. "I'm exhausted. I think I'm going to hit the hay early."

Haku pulled a face. "I have to take a phone call at midnight."

Chihiro frowned and reclaimed her cup of tea. Haku had drunk a considerable amount of it. "Hey, if you want a cup of tea make your own! And why is someone calling at midnight? What a ridiculous time to call!"

Haku shrugged. "It's annoying – I know. No one can trace the call and he apparently rings regularly around the same time every night. People keep hanging up on him, but he's persistent so I decided what the harm would be to answer – maybe he'll go away."

"Maybe he won't," Chihiro corrected.

Haku gave her a look. "Then we have measures in place to accommodate for that scenario," he added.

Chihiro sighed and gave in, gathering her dishes together before dusting down her gown and rising. Haku rose with her.

"I'm going to take a bath; feel dirty?"

"Haku!" Chihiro seethed, catching the eye of one of the kitchen hands. Haku chuckled gently and guided Chihiro back to the apartment.

The bath was relaxing and it was always nice to relax with Haku at the end of the day. Chihiro washed her hair, dunking her head underwater before lathering it up with a bottle of shampoo she'd brought home with her from the human world – traditional or not, to her, the spirit world didn't have anything on human world hair products and she severely missed them when she was gone.

"Smells strong," Haku commented. His hair was dry.

"It's from the human world – it's supposed to smell like orchids. Do you want me to wash your hair?" she asked, twirling her hair into a slick bun on the top of her head to let the conditioner set.

Haku shook his head. "It's too strong for me – it would give me a headache."

Chihiro shrugged and sighed, letting her head lean back against the lip of the bathtub. "So I've been thinking…"

"Dear Lord," Haku teased gently across the bath. "This could be any number of things…"

"I was thinking about our wedding," Chihiro clarified and Haku instantly perked up. "I've given it some thought, and I think you're right…"

"You think so?"

Chihiro shrugged a little. "Well… I was thinking it was right to postpone it, but that was before we… well, had this _situation_."

"Situation…," Haku laughed gently. "I want to bring the wedding forward. I think it would be nice to be officially joined before the child comes."

Chihiro nodded and with a small smile, she said, "Well, it's settled then."

"Good," he replied. "Now wash that stinking stuff out of your hair and get over here." He raised his arms for Chihiro to fill.

Chihiro rinsed her hair and slithered over to Haku, who finger-combed it out before tying it back. Gently he titled Chihiro's head back and kissed her, relishing the feel of her warm, soft lips against his. Chihiro reached up and ran her finger along his jaw, feeling the muscles move under the skin as they opened their mouths and let their tongues play.

"I also thought since we're getting married, we should abstain from sex until the big night," she teased against his lips.

Haku pouted. "I don't know about that… We'd have to set a date."

"When, then?"

"Well… since you've put forward this idea of abstaining… tomorrow."

Chihiro chuckled. "You really can't last that long?"

Haku huffed. "What can I say; you've introduced me to a monster. That two months I was without you was terrible. But on another note, the muscles in my hands are fantastic."

"Haku!" Chihiro pushed, mortified at his brashness.

"Be quiet, it's getting cold," he kissed her roughly. "Do you want me to add more warm water or will we get out?"

"Out," Chihiro murmured, rising from the tub. Haku gently touched the small of her back to steady her as she stepped out of the tub. "I'm hungry."

Haku laughed and followed his mate out, running his hand gently down her forearm and stopping her hand from grabbing the towel hanging on the rack.

"Wait a moment," he murmured endearingly, his hands travelling down to Chihiro's stomach. "I want to see what it looks like."

"I'm not even showing yet, Haku," Chihiro replied as his hands covered her slick belly. "Give me a few more weeks." She swiped the towel off the rack. "Hurry up, I'm hungry. _And_, I still have things to ask you."

Haku sighed and with defeat, followed Chihiro out of the bathroom.

"Yes, ma'am."

Dinner was a sort-of-chicken (Chihiro didn't really know what it was…) with a delicious sauce and vegetables. They ate in silence in a brightly lit dining room. Chihiro was tired, and she was eagerly anticipating bed, but willed herself to bring up the conversation.

"I need to know some things, Haku," she said bravely.

He looked up from his food. "Like what?"

"I need to know how my parents are doing," she said. "I've been so caught up with everything here for the last week – when I left… they,"

"They're fine," Haku replied. "I have it all organised."

"See," Chihiro cried. "_That_ – how do you have it all 'organised', Haku they're my parents, if anything happens to them I don't know what I'd do!"

"I understand, Chihiro."

"You don't understand, Haku!" Chihiro sniffed. Her eyes felt hot with tears. How could he possibly understand?

"Chihiro," he said gently, reaching across to bat her tears away. "Stop it now, your parents are fine."

"How do you know?" she wept. "You should have seen Raijin's eyes that night. He looked like a murderer. I was scared out of my mind."

Haku felt sympathy and he understood where Chihiro was coming from – true, he couldn't understand how deep the connection Chihiro had with her parents, but they were special to her and to him also. He would have been a dead man before he allowed any of the Ogino's to get hurt. He got up and gently pulled Chihiro towards him, letting her cry on his shoulder. The pregnancy hormones were not helping in the least, either.

"You know I would never let harm befall you or your family," he murmured gently, smoothing down her hair. He knew these were genuine concerns she held, though her over-emotional state did not help the matter. "Don't you? You trust me, right? Your family mean everything to me, Chihiro. You know this."

"With everything," Chihiro whispered. "I just don't understand any of this right now – like Raijin." She sniffed and batted her tears away. "I'm so worried for him."

Haku smiled gently and kissed Chihiro's forehead. "I love you so much, Chihiro," he said. "But please, we have more important things to worry about than Raijin – he can look after himself. I don't want you overthinking things and stressing out. That's my job."

Chihiro smiled and conceded, going back to her dinner.

"Can I write a letter out for you to send later, Haku?" Chihiro asked. "I just think it would calm my mind, and probably theirs – I won't write anything confidential in it, or anything, I promise."

Haku nodded. "I'll send it in the morning. So, speaking of this wedding – should we set a date?"

Chihiro nodded. "Before I get too big to fit in my dress… where is that, by the way?"

Haku looked around the room. "Here, hidden away, I think." It was sort of a lie. Chihiro would have gotten upset if she knew he'd found it. She was weird with that thing - she said it was a human tradition and he did not want to upset her anymore tonight.

"Good," Chihiro smiled. "I'll have to find it and try it on. I hope I still do fit into it."

"How does one month sound?"

Chihiro blanched. "One month to plan a wedding?" she sighed.

"Nothing big," Haku promised.

Chihiro rolled her eyes. "I'm marrying one of the most extravagant spirits in the world. When he says 'nothing big'…" she pulled an uneasy face.

Haku's eyes flashed playfully. "I mean it, Chihiro. Something in the gardens maybe, it's always nice there. I've had people down my throat all day, seven days a week. It will be nice to have something small and… intimate."

"_Intimate_," Chihiro echoed cheerily. "I like that. Well… who do we invite?"

Haku finished his mouthful of dinner. "Are we really planning our wedding over dinner?"

"Well Lord knows you barely have time to do anything else except work and sleep. So what we're multi-tasking."

"Let's invite some people from the bathhouse. They can stay here - Chase and her family, Rin, what about -,"

Chihiro swallowed. "I don't know, Haku… I don't know if I can face him. You haven't seen him since?"

"Since the engagement party," Haku admitted. That seemed an eternity ago.

"I just want you to look out for him, alright, Haku?" Chihiro said. "He seemed strange that night, and Hotaru, I just-," she shook her head. "I'm sorry."

"It's alright," he replied. "We won't invite him – what about Zeniba?"

Chihiro laughed. "She'd hunt you down… _us_ down like a bloodhound if we didn't invite her. Put her at the top of the list, just to save us from the vendetta."

"Of course, Zeniba, Bou and No Face," Haku suddenly had a pen and was jotting down some names on a pad of paper.

"Can we accommodate all of them?"

Haku chuckled gently. "Definitely – plus more."

"I don't know if there's any more," Chihiro sighed. "It's the wrong time of year for my parents to come through… I wish they could have been here, it's a shame. Maybe we should have our wedding at the bathhouse. Where it all begun. I love the hydrangeas out in the garden… much more than the one's here. I always remember you leading me through them."

Haku smiled. "Leave it with me then. The bathhouse is more personal for us. And it's close to Midnight Town and the train station – maybe it will feel more like home."

"The next time they see you, you'll really be pregnant."

Chihiro laughed. "Really _really_," she agreed. "I think that's enough wedding planning tonight." She yawned. "I'm exhausted."

Haku stacked the dishes on the dining table as Chihiro went back down to the bedroom. On her way down the hallway, she lingered at the large wooden door to the room beside theirs – the room with the beautiful hardwood floors and the summery yellow walls. She smiled and looked to Haku, who was following her down the hall.

"Soon enough we'll be picking out furniture for our arrival."

"Sesame, you mean," Haku corrected cheekily.

"It won't be sesame seed for long, and then what will you call it?" Chihiro laughed.

Haku considered this for a moment, "Cashew, avocado, honeysuckle, lettuce, watermelon…"

Chihiro rolled her eyes. "Fantastic. _Watermelon_."

"You look tired," he urged. "Get some sleep."

Chihiro nodded and had to concede. "When are you coming to bed?"

"Just as soon as I'm finished with this phone call. Don't wait up for me, though."

"Alright," Chihiro conceded. "Don't forget about me." and the woman retreated back into their master bedroom.

* * *

The hours dragged on, and Chihiro reappeared not to long later, wanting to retrieve the book she'd been reading previously. The two talked for a while again, of nothing of great importance and then Chihiro retired for good – Haku could see the bags under her eyes and noted the inconspicuous yawning she was trying to do.

It was half-eleven when the phone rang on Haku's desk. He picked it up.

"Hello?"

There was static on the other end, and then a shaky, young male voice came through, sounding echoed and tinny.

"H-hello, oh wow, um, who is this?

"Lord Kohaku," Haku replied. "You've been wired through. Who is this?"

"Really? Cool, I never expected to-,"

"This conversation will be cut short if you don't answer my question," Haku interrupted. He noticed a letter on his desk – one he had not read and several of the words had been blacked out. It was between someone he did not know and Kamaji – Haku focused on it for the moment, but realised he did not have time to analyse it. He got back tot h conversation at hand. "I have no qualms about hanging up and going to bed."

"Oh, r-right!" came the apology. "Sorry, my name is Shinji. That guy I always talk to said I was going to be put through to you, but I just thought he was going to hang up on me again."

"Why have you been calling here?" Haku asked.

"I wanted to talk with you," was the simple response.

"So do many people," Haku replied. "I hold public appointments for that every afternoon."

"Yeah, I know," Shinji replied. "But you gotta understand – I'd never get in. I just can't get to the Imperial City and I really wanted to speak with you."

"About what? Pray it be fast."

"Now, now, we have a lot to discuss," said the man suddenly, his voice taking on an entirely new tone a long way apart from the bumbling fool he'd answered on the phone.

Haku snapped his jaw shut and growled into the receiver. "You'll tell me what you want now."

"I'll tell you what I want," came the response. "A sitting-session with you, my Lord. I believe I have a lot you'll be very interested in."

"You have the audacity-"

"How's your human?" he asked. Before Haku had time to snap back a response about disrespect, the young man continued. "Where is she now? You know I was the one who told you about that young man you've employed – the bakeneko who can slip through the worlds."

Haku snarled.

"I have a lot of options at my disposal, you must understand – if I know something as interesting about Hotaru, you cannot imagine what other secrets I could possibly hold. Where is that human of yours? Sleeping in bed, I assume – it's late…"

Haku quickly smashed numbers into the telephone. Instantly Ismene picked up.

"Get him," Haku ordered harshly.

"Yes, my lord," Ismene replied quickly in her sweet voice.

Haku threw the phone down and stalked out of the office, pulling on his robes in the bedroom. Chihiro was waiting up in bed, but when she saw the sour mood of her fiancée, put down her book and pushed back the covers.

"Stay here," Haku ordered roughly. "Don't move. I'll be back soon."

"Haku," Chihiro called to his retreating figure, his robes flowing gracefully behind him. It was too late, the dragon lord was gone.

* * *

Haku arrived in the military quarters just as Ismene reappeared, her form materialising before Haku with a youth in her arms. The boy was struggling against Ismene's spell and dropped to the floor on his hands and knees when it was taken off. Shinji opened his eyes only to see the tip of a white boot. Following the boot up, he found himself staring into the hot emerald eyes of his Lord.

Haku grasped Shinji by the collar of his robe, lifting him to his feet. His grip was tight, but Shinji tried pulling away from him.

"See, we have secrets too," he seethed to the youth.

"That's not fair!" Shinji cried. "I didn't even know you had a transporter."

"Seems you know everything about everyone but me," he returned hotly.

The young boy looked more like a terrified toddler than a man. He was very young and scrawny, with a small cut of blonde hair that spiked up at his fringe and large green eyes. His thick eyebrows puckered and his bottom lip trembled. Haku felt his anger boil, then dropped the youth to the ground. Shinji stumbled and fell to his knees.

"It seems you're not so tough hiding behind a telephone line – you wanted a session with the Lord, it seems you've gotten it."

Dal - strong, wide Dal – was there beside the boy and grasped him tightly around the arm. Ismene was taking short sharp breaths and combing through her golden locks with her fingers.

"Take him to the basement and chain him up," Haku ordered. "I'll deal with him in the morning. I'd do it now, but I'm so angry I may just do something I'd regret."

"Yes my Lord," Dal nodded and took the young man away, heading downstairs to the dark, damp cells.

Ismene approached her Lord, her hands shaking.

"You should get some rest," Haku said gently, trying to curb his own anger. "That must have taken a lot out of you."

"He was in the mountains to the North," Ismene replied. "I can mark it on a map tomorrow. There was no one else there… I-," she shook her head. "I'm sorry for what he said, my Lord. That must have worried you."

Haku shook his head. "I'll deal with him in the morning." He had a lot of thoughts circling around his mind it was making him dizzy. He had to get out of here – he needed some fresh air.

When he passed Chihiro in the bedroom, she was still awake and wasn't reading anymore. He realised she'd been waiting for him and the whole room was dripping in the scent of her worry. He was still too fired up to sleep; he needed to cool down.

Haku took the five seconds needed to soothe his partner's mind.

"Go to sleep. Everything's alright. I'm just too riled up to sleep right now. I'm going for a fly, but I'll be back," he kissed the top of her head gently. "Go to sleep."

Chihiro nodded and swallowed thickly. "I love you."

"I love you too," he replied gently, his robe sitting on the end of the bed. He stood in his underclothes as he opened the door to the private garden. As soon as the door was open, Haku was gone – the silver serpent rising into the air. From the bed, Chihiro watched her dragon disappear.

* * *

Thank you to everyone who reviewed the last chapter! We're almost to 300 reviews which is seriously amazing! Can we make it? I'm going to skip over thanking everyone because I'm pressed for time and am super tired, but knew I had to get this chapter out for you all!

To anyone regarding Chihiro's 12 week superstition, 12 weeks is the end of the first trimester and the foetus has the highest risk of natural abortion/miscarrying during that time for numerous reasons. Most women announce their pregnancy at 12 weeks to the general public as it's also the time they start to show.

Thank you, also, to those who have voted in my poll on the gender of the baby. It doesn't count for anything, but I thought it would be nice to lodge a prediction. Anyway, if you haven't done it already head over to my profile and cast a vote!

Thanks for reading this week and remember to post a quick review before you go!

~** Arlia'Devi**


	15. XV: Of Raisins and River Gods

**The Path of Water**

By Arlia'Devi

Disclaimer: I do not own Spirited Away in any respect; all rights go to Hayao Miyazaki and associates. I make no money from this.

**The Path of Water**

**XV: Of Raisins and River Gods**

_"My dear young cousin, if there's one thing I've learned over the eons, it's that you can't give up on your family, no matter how tempting they make it."_  
―** Rick Riordan**

The moon was dropping low to the west of the night sky by the time Haku landed back in the Imperial gardens, it was very late in the morning but the sun hadn't made its presence known yet.

He hoped she was asleep, because she was often tired and he didn't want to keep her up. The room was dark when he padded into it and he gently sat down on his side of the bed.

Chihiro had her back to him, her hands hugging the pillow and her breathing even and regular. Her hair cascaded down her back and across the blankets. A small curl was resting on her cheek and Haku carefully reached across to brush it away.

"You smell," she grunted as he pulled away his hand. Evidently, she very much awake. She didn't open her eyes.

"Sorry," he replied gently. "Did I wake you?"

Chihiro rolled onto her back and looked at her to-be-husband. His eyes were red rimmed and his hair was dishevelled. His clothes were stained and wrinkled and he smelt of water, like of the smell of algae on a riverbed. Gently she twisted her hand into his.

"Did you go to the river?" she asked, shuffling into the blankets.

Haku nodded silently.

"How was it?"

Haku sighed and shifted uncomfortably. "Well… this is the first time I've gone north since I proposed to you. There's a lot of work that needs to get done."

Chihiro was about to say something but Haku got up off the bed and went into the bathroom without uttering another word. He closed the door and soon after, Chihiro heard the bathtub running.

For a long time, Chihiro sat there waiting for Haku to emerge. When he did, he was sopping wet and stark naked. He quickly dried his hair before falling into bed, not bothering to put clothes on. She lied with her back to him, not wanting to move or speak.

When it seemed that Haku was contented to fall asleep with everything still hanging in the air, Chihiro spoke, still not facing him.

"Maybe you should take some time off and go north," she suggested gently.

"There's too much work to be done here, I don't have the time," Haku replied a little gruffly. "Chihiro, please, I just want to go to sleep."

Chihiro bit her lip and shuffled away. Her throat hurt. Haku usually didn't bite out at her. She wasn't used to him being so upset, and that upset her. Everything was on his shoulders, including her. She was a burden, always needing to be considered into things for her safety… he couldn't move an inch without thinking about her. She was holding him back. At the bathhouse, Haku rarely had qualms about leaving her there to visit the river. And now she was pregnant…

"We're having this baby at the wrong time," Chihiro said, her wobbly, wet voice cutting the silence. She couldn't disguise the pain in her voice. "I wish we weren't…I'm sorry, Haku."

The mattress groaned as Haku shifted his weight and Chihiro felt his strong arms encircle her waist and pull her to him. Without a word, he tucked his head against the back of Chihiro's neck.

"Don't be stupid," he replied against her skin. His voice was still rough albeit a little gentler. "I love that baby, and I love you. I don't want to hear such nonsense from you, Chihiro."

Chihiro turned in Haku's embrace, burying her head into his shoulder as she cried.

"I feel so trapped," she whispered hoarsely, gripping his shoulders tightly.

Haku hugged Chihiro tighter, burying his nose into the crook of her neck. "Don't, Chihiro," he murmured gently, smoothing her hair down with a heavy hand.

"I wish you didn't have to worry about me…," she admitted. "I'm your weakest link."

He frowned and pushed her away so she was looking into his eyes. Haku was tired – wearied, but serious.

"You are _everything_ to me, Chihiro," he said firmly, planting both hands on the sides of her face so she wouldn't look away. "I only survive day-to-day because I know I have you to come home to. You are not my weakest link. You're the only thing I cannot bear to lose."

Chihiro nodded and sniffed. Gently she kissed him – everything she needed to say transferred through a bittersweet locking of lips.

His eyes were saggy and rimmed. It was time to go to sleep, but Chihiro needed to say something else.

"I just thought everything was on your shoulders, and I couldn't help – I felt so useless, like I was a burden." She sighed and embraced him. "I wish you would tell me more about what's on your mind… I'm not a mind reader though sometimes I wish I was."

Haku shifted uncomfortably. He felt the lulling effects of sleep nipping on the edges of his mind.

"The phone call tonight turned out bad," he muttered, wondering if he was making sense. He was about to lose consciousness any moment now, so this would have to be quick. "I got angry… he threatened you – me, us," he brought Chihiro closer, sighing into her hair. "But can we finish this off in the morning?" and then he was gone.

Chihiro smiled as she felt Haku's head drop onto her shoulder. Carefully she moved to roll him onto his back, melting into his side and bringing the blankets to cover them both. Brushing the damp hair from his face, Chihiro noted how peaceful he looked sleeping – like there were no problems in dreamland. She kissed him tenderly.

"Goodnight," she whispered against his chest, settling down. "You're my everything too."

* * *

Chihiro didn't tell Haku of the letter she'd found in his drawer of the day before, but somehow she had the feeling that things were going to explain themselves very soon.

Haku woke very late in the morning with Chihiro's warmth against his side. When he looked down he realised his partner was awake, gently tracing circles on his chest but had made no move to wake him. He shifted a little and Chihiro looked up at him, a small smile playing across her lips.

"Sorry," she whispered gently. "But it looked like you needed it."

Haku yawned loudly and stretched and Chihiro slipped out of bed, throwing a sky-blue silk robe adorned with flying swallows over her body. Haku retreated into the bathroom to wash his face, and Chihiro leant on the door.

"What are you going to do now?" she asked gently.

Haku wiped his face on the towel. "Meet with the members of parliament then approach this young boy. He says his name is Shinji – he made numerous threats on the phone, most regarding you," Chihiro felt her mouth go dry. "But when he was approached by me, he turned out to be nothing more than a quivering, slack-jawed youth."

"What are you going to do with him?" Chihiro asked.

"He'll be punished accordingly."

"You're not going to hurt him, are you?" Chihiro frowned, catching her partner by the bicep as he tried to pass her. Though she was considerably smaller than he was, her fiery gaze was unfazed by his height.

"No," Haku replied. "Not immediately, but you have to realise that he meant to hurt you, Chihiro. I'll find out his true motives for calling and then assess the degree of punishment he may receive."

Chihiro swallowed. "… Could you kill him, if you wanted to?"

Haku nodded. "If I wanted to."

"But you won't, right?" Chihiro asked, desperately searching his eyes trying to pull out any information he wasn't giving her verbally.

Gently he kissed her head. "Stop worrying. I won't."

Chihiro closed her eyes, breathing in the scent of her future mate when he brought her in close. "I'm sorry," she murmured. "This place… this pregnancy, it's just making me crazy. I keep overthinking things and my emotions are all over the place."

Haku laughed into her hair. "It's all right. I don't mind so much, it's about time I paid you back with tolerance. You tolerated all my escapades before we came here, about all of this and meeting your parents. I suppose I'll have to be the level-headed one now, though I'm not sure how that will work out."

Chihiro laughed and kissed Haku gently. She traced his cheekbone gently, and smiled.

"I was thinking about our wedding," she said.

"What were you thinking exactly?"

She took a sharp breath in. "Well, since it's in a few weeks time maybe we should consider going to the river as a sort of honey-moon period. We could get out of the bustle of the city and just relax for a few days."

Haku was silent for a moment and Chihiro waited for him to consider the option.

"That sounds nice."

Chihiro grinned.

"Really nice, actually," Haku replied and leant down to kiss Chihiro. "I can't wait."

"Three weeks. I want to call the bathhouse today, to get it all organised."

Haku nodded, "Organise it," he encouraged. "I'll deal with this kid before anything though. I'll be back this afternoon." He went to kiss her cheek, but Chihiro quickly twisted out of his grasp and ran into the bathroom. As Haku pulled on his boots and wondered what to grab for breakfast, he heard the gurgling of Chihiro's stomach contents fall into the bowl of the toilet.

* * *

When the nausea subsided at around ten o'clock in the morning, Chihiro had a shower and got dressed, did her hair and applied a little bit of make-up. She was glad she'd stocked up on human foundation as the spirit substitution was rather pale in comparison and made out of questionable materials. The foundation also easily concealed the bags under her eyes that were starting to form – she needed to sleep longer these days and the daily schedule just wasn't accommodating it.

When she had finished dressing herself, Chihiro went to the study and picked up the receiver to the phone Haku owned. She wanted to call the bathhouse, but suddenly had no clue as to what the phone number may be, and she wasn't so keen as to disturb Haku at work to ask such a trivial matter…

So she snooped.

There was a lot of meaningless papers – meaningless to her, at least. Then there were stationary supplies, the dirty kamasutra book she'd given to him a few months ago (that made Chihiro scoff in mortification? He kept it in here? What a creep!), and then finally a small leather diary looking tome with bible-thin pages and Haku's small handwriting.

_Remember to order:_

_Dried fish eggs_

_Worm Salt_

_Cinnamon sticks_

There was something else scrubbed out there, and then there was a documentation of what needed to be done at the river. The entries seemed very early. A few pages later, there was an entry about her –

_Chihiro came back tonight. She still seems upset. She's not like the little girl – what do I do to make her feel better?_

There weren't any more entries about her for a long time in the small diary until her name came up under an entry about detailing for an emerald and a diamond cutter, and then the sizes of some of her rings she had from the human world but rarely worn – had Haku snooped into her stuff? She was about to feel betrayed when she realised she was doing the exact same thing and laughed.

She put the notebook away and continued looking. When she was about to give up and go find Haku and ask for the number herself, she found a small piece of paper folded many times and the small scraggly numbers of the bathhouse on them.

_45 87 01 35 – Bathhouse reception._

Chihiro dialled it into the phone and the receiver started to ring. In three tones it was picked up by a receptionist who tapped her through to Chase's personal telephone. After a few rings, her familiar high pitched voice came through.

"Chihiro?" Chase asked.

"Chase?" her voice sounded strange echoing through the receiver.

"Wow! Chihiro," Chase replied. "It's so great to hear your voice! How are you?"

"Really good," said Chihiro. "Yeah, I've been really good."

"How's living at the Palace?"

Chihiro sucked in a sharp breath. "Different," she said honestly. "It's a lot more strict than the bathhouse, and I don't have that much to do around here. I get a little bored sometimes – I can't preoccupy myself with duties like I could at the bathhouse."

"You're always welcome back for a visit, Chihiro – it's only fourty-five minutes via dragon."

"Well." Chihiro drummed her fingers against the wood of the desk. "That's what I wanted to talk to you about…"

"Yeah?" Chase encouraged.

"Haku and I are planning our mateship. We want to do a human ceremony, and I was wondering if it was alright if we hold the ceremony in the bathhouse gardens."

"Wow," replied Chase. "You're still going through with it. I thought it would have gone on the backburner, but good on you. When are you looking at getting married – we can schedule a time and make some plans for it…"

"December. Early December."

"That's only a few weeks away…," Chase bit her lip on the other end. "I can make it work, though."

"The second weekend – we're about to send out the invites. A small thing, only close friends."

"Your parents aren't coming?"

"They can't."

"That's a shame," Chase hummed. "Why are you having it so soon?"

Chihiro hesitated. She didn't want to give out her secret so early, especially over the phone. "We just thought the sooner the better – things are a little tense between the Eastern and Western Lands. Haku said he thought we should maybe get married before something comes up."

"Fair enough," Chase seemed to buy the reasoning with few qualms.

"Great. I'll send out the invites and get back to you." Chihiro grinned and then leant back in the chair. "So, how is everyone?"

* * *

The Imperial Palace was a structure that was millenniums old, but had been renovated and rebuilt over the centuries to represent the building it was now – a beautiful temple of detailed architecture, marble columns stretching three stories and a white tiled roof. There were some parts, however, that had not changed all that much since it's construction by the first Lord all those hundreds of millenniums ago and the dungeon was one of those things. Deep into the labyrinth under the ground floor was a large, damp and dark room that held a number of small cells. In the first one was a young blonde haired male, sitting against the damp wall with his hands tied behind his back with a thick chain attached to the wall. The spirit world was not so primitive; however, strong spells were cast upon the barricades within the underground prison.

Dal stood by the prison door, and the young man jumped when he saw the man emerge from the shadows, dressed in a deep green fitted tunic that fell to his ankles in a straight line off his broad shoulders. He entered the small cell and took the boy named Shinji by his shoulder, shoving him to stand before all but marching him out of the dusky dungeon.

"You had better be praying the Lord had a restful sleep," Dal grunted to Shinji, leading him up a stone staircase towards the ground level. "I saw him in passing this morning – I would lean towards he did not."

"I didn't mean it to go this far, I swear!" cried Shinji.

"Shut up, boy," Dal barked back, shoving the boy forward a little so he stumbled on the steps.

To Shinji, the steps seemed to go on forever but eventually he was confronted with a large double door Dal leant forward and nudged open. Light streamed in, into the parlour he was all too familiar with – there was a large, long table in the middle of the room and an assortment of chairs and people around it. His eyes instantly fixed on the tall, emerald haired figure of his Lord. Like daggers, eyes of the same hue shot back and him and he felt his stomach lurch.

Haku pursed his lips and regarded the members of parliament.

"Good morning, everyone, I'd like you to meet Shinji," he motioned to the youth. "Shinji has been the young man calling at midnight for the past month. He and I exchanged some colourful words last night."

A woman with a long brunette braid glowered at him and Shinji swallowed thickly.

"We can easily press you for treason!" Ayne shot. "You better explain yourself quickly, kid, or you're finished."

"Death is the punishment for treason," added Senekular lowly, his eyes shimmering in the candlelight that illuminated the room, despite the morning sun filtering through a few high windows.

"I didn't mean it to get this far, I swear!" cried Shinji, trying to lunge out of Dal's grip. It failed and the youth was pulled backwards. "I just needed your attention, my lord! I didn't know how else to get it unless I pulled a stunt like that!"

"You've certainly got the attention," Ayne replied. "You deserved to be locked in the darkness for a long time – how dare you speak that way about the Lady. You should have been glad she was not around to hear such a thing!"

Shinij looked to Haku, his green eyes pleading.

"Please, my Lord, I just need to speak with you!" he cried, more like the boy he was than ever.

Haku did not respond. He was too busy studying the face of the man – so similar to a face he'd seen before, yet different. He couldn't quite place it, but it evoked something in him. Should he have recognised him?

"Have we ever met?" Haku frowned, shaking his head. "I think I know your face, but I'm having a hard time placing you."

"Yes!" cried Shinji. This time when he leapt forward, he managed to escape Dal's hands. He did not get far however, and was quickly apprehended. "You owned the bathhouse near Midnight town, across the Midnight River – the one the witch Yubaba used to own. I know you."

"Any fool could know that," replied Senekular.

"Thousands of spirits flock to that bathhouse," Ayne shook her head. "It's a real tourist attraction."

"You don't understand," cried Shinji desperately. "Please listen to me."

Senekular had decided he'd heard enough, so exited the parliament room. His parting words were, "Don't listen to him, my lord."

"What are we supposed to do with him?" Ayne looked to her Lord. "We can't very well let him go – you won't… kill him will you?"

Haku shook his head. "I don't know what to do with him. I should consult the Lady, but knowing her, she'll be a lot more merciful than I will be, despites his threats being centred on her. Had I let Lady Chihiro get her way, Shinji would be leaving here with only a small tap on the wrist. Much less than what he deserves."

"I just need to talk to you!" Shinji cried. "It's of great importance! I have a lot of information that could be useful to you, stuff about the Western Lands."

Ayne shook her head. "Why should we listen to him?"

Shinji evidently got frustrated then, and something sparked in his green eyes. He broke free of Dal's grasp then, and as the large man went to seize the young boy again, Haku raised his hand to halt him and frowned at the young boy.

"I do know you from somewhere," he muttered. "You look so similar to-,"

"He's my brother," Shinji snapped back, rolling his shoulders and then cracking his neck. "Hotaru is my brother."

* * *

Thank you to all those people who reviewed the last chapter! We hit 300 which is super amazing! I am so happy and thankful I have such great, loyal readers!

**r969, GangstaSummoner, orangegirl101, WhisperToTheWolves, BlackMoonStar10, KisaTiger12, LoVehUrTsO.o, Sonya rk!, DragonofYang, PolyPtera, Sokka2Me, bluegirl999, mimcee, Have a Nice Dream, Watermelon23, LeeshyLoo, herro, ulquihime7980, DemonChild94, Mckcccc** and **GangstaSummoner.**

Thank you to everyone who has been reviewing. I think I'm going to leave it short this week, but please, share the love and drop a quick one before you go!  
See you next week!

~ **Arlia'Devi.**


	16. XVI: Stirring the Pot

**The Path of Water**

By Arlia'Devi

Disclaimer: I do not own Spirited Away in any respect; all rights go to Hayao Miyazaki and associates. I make no money from this.

**The Path of Water**

**XVI: Stirring the Pot**

"Don't you see?!" cried Shinji. "I wanted to be caught!"

Shinji stood in the middle of the parliament room, his fists clenched and his green eyes fiery. Haku could see it now – in the blonde hair, and the green eyes and those high cheekbones, this boy looked remarkably like Hotaru, the bakeneko and Chase's mate. But why had he done all this? Why had he gone to all these lengths just to see him?

"Why?" Haku demanded. "Why go to all this trouble?"

"There was no other way you would listen to me!" Shinji cried.

"So you threaten my family? Pester my generals and members of parliament?" his anger was bubbling on the surface. Dal had the boy sit down, a strong hand on his shoulder.

"I didn't mean it to get as far as it has," he pleaded. "I meant no harm, honestly. I just wanted you to talk to me, to give me a chance."

"You should be punished severely for what you've done," Haku snarled. Shinji did not reply, and his gaze averted to the left. Haku ran his hand through his hair and growled, stalking away. His temper was rising and it was becoming out of control; he needed to calm down before he did something he regretted.

Dal looked to his Lord. "What would you have me do?"

Haku shook his head. "I don't know," he muttered, two fingers coming to massage the bridge of his nose. "Give him something to eat first. Bring him to my office after that. I'm going to see Chihiro."

Dal nodded and as the Lord exited, shoved Shinji into a standing position.

"Watch what you say, boy – you're skating on very thin ice," he grunted and lead him out of the room.

Shinji craned his head to watch Haku depart, heading towards the southern quarters of the palace. A nudge in the lower back by Dal made him stumble forward and the youth sighed, pushing back a lock of blonde hair with a shaky hand.

"Too right," he muttered." I was afraid I wasn't going to leave with my life."

"You haven't yet."

* * *

Chihiro's smile was delightful when Haku entered their quarters. She was babbling on the phone in the study – he could hear Chase's voice on the other end and he gently approached her and planted a gentle kiss on her forehead.

"Sorry Chase, I've got to go – Haku's back."

"Alright," grinned Chase." Don't be a stranger!"

"You either. We have heaps of room – you, Aeala and Hotaru should come visit us one day soon!"

Haku pursed his lips as Chihiro set down the phone.

"Good talk?" he asked, sitting on the chair opposite the desk.

:Chihiro nodded enthusiastically. "Really good," she admitted. "We talked about possibly having the wedding ceremony over at the bathhouse. Chase said she would make it happen." She wiggle d in her chair a little bit. "So, how did it go with that guy?"

Haku pursed his lips. "Differently. Apparently he said some particular things because he wanted to be caught. I don't understand his logic."

Chihiro shrugged and got up. Moving behind her partner, she massaged his shoulders gently. "Maybe he was desperate," she whispered, kissing his left ear gently. "Sometimes people who are so worried do desperate things."

"But you don't understand, Chihiro," Haku replied earnestly. "Some of the things he did just to get my attention were dangerous and unnecessary. I would have given him my time had he simply made an appointment."

Chihiro sighed. "I remember when I was ten I did all sorts of crazy things for the boy I loved," she kissed his cheek then. "I would have done anything to save him. I ran along a pipe on the fortieth story of the bathhouse and climbed up to Yubaba's room from the outside."

"You were crazy. He was a thief." Haku grinned.

Chihiro shot back a serious look. "I _loved_ him," she clarified. "I knew deep down he was my friend. All I'm saying is that a desperate move like that might have ulterior motives. Maybe you should consider that before making a decision."

Haku sighed gently and squeezed Chihiro's hand. "How have you been today?"

"A little sick," she admitted. "But nothing I can't handle."

Haku grumbled and rose, kissing his to-be-mate on the head. "Write out some invitations for our wedding. Ayne might have some nice paper for it. I'll post them out tonight, if you'd like."

"Sure," Chihiro smiled.

"I have to go now, but be safe," he smiled.

"Alright. Have a good afternoon," she waved goodbye him. "Oh and Haku-," the dragon turned. "Don't be too hard on him."

Haku chuckled. "You're too merciful."

Chihiro rolled her eyes. "And your such a big, bad dragon, Haku." She gave him a meaningful look and he shot back a whisper of a smile before heading out the door.

Haku walked down the hallways. He had a larger office near the library, one he used outside of his personal quarters for business meetings and such. The office inside his rooms was small and he often sat there going over paperwork, but this one was larger, with a great fireplace on the western wall and a large tapestry hanging near the door. The wall behind his desk was lined with great old tomes. The room smelt clean and unused.

Not long after Haku settled in, Dal and Shinji entered, the youth still being restrained before Haku ushered him to sit opposite him in a large red leather chair. Shinji wore a simple cotton tunic and pants, once cream but horribly stained from the dirt in the dungeon.

"You have five minutes," Haku sighed. A young woman entered then with three cups of tea and, without a word, set them down on the desk before leaving just as quickly as she entered. "Tea?"

"Thank you," Shinji muttered and with shaking fingers, moved forward to grasp the fine china. "I realise this may be difficult to believe, but I really meant no harm to you or your loved ones. I was desperate to get your attention, so for that I'm sorry."

"Your motives are what I'm interested in," replied Haku, setting down the tea. "Why not make an appointment to see me like respecting citizens do?"

Shinji shook his head. "I couldn't. I had no means of getting there, except for my own feet and by that time it would be much too late. I knew you had a transporter, though I didn't know it was the young girl and I knew I just had to say the right things to get me where I am now. I didn't mean to play you, my lord, I really didn't, but there are some things you have to know."

"That's why you know of Hotaru's ability to travel through the worlds," Haku replied.

Shinji nodded. He'd finished the tea and put the cup back on the tray with a rattle. His fingers and nail beds were dreadfully dirty.

"I'm Hotaru's youngest brother – _only_ brother," he corrected. "Our parents died when we were younger and he went to find work to support me. He left one night and never came back. Only a few years ago I found out he'd been taken prisoner in the witch Yubaba's bathhouse, which you now own. I went to visit him once as a guest of the bathhouse. He didn't recognise me. I suppose it was true, your name really does control your soul and when she took it, I guess she took all of his old life with it."

"I tried hard to retrieve as much as I could about all the staff member's pasts. I must admit, my own past is still a little blurry in some parts but I know Hotaru is contented with the life he has now. He's happy and safe," Haku spoke.

Shinji nodded, suddenly finding his knees very interesting. "I knew him as Fumimaro, my brother, Fumimaro," he murmured. "But I guess he's changed a lot since then."

"Maybe so," Haku shrugged a little. "Maybe not."

Shinji sighed, his hauntingly similar green eyes flashing up to meet Haku's. "You have to know things aren't what they seem in the West."

"Care to elaborate?"

He hesitated for a moment and Haku saw the youth's Adam's apple bob up and down as he swallowed thickly. "Everything there is a ruse. Jaikomaru's rise to power wasn't as smooth as it seems."

Haku shook his head. "I visited him only a week ago, he was gracious and very co-operative. I'm afraid you're going to need more than your words to convince me."

Shinji huffed and looked away. The top row of his teeth nibbled down on his bottom lip. "I can't give you any more than my word."

"Then I suppose our time is over."

"No! Wait!" Shinji cried as Haku tried to rise. "I'm sorry. I can't tell you any more than that. I realise you may not trust me, but you have to consider my word. All I'm saying is that things aren't what they seem with the Western lands. I know there are soldiers along the trade routes, patrolling the border. I know I threatened the lady, and I'm sorry about that, but please don't hold it against me. I know something isn't right in the Western Lands."

Haku considered this for a long time. True, there were soldiers hanging around on the border and that was unnerving. He'd visited Jaikomaru's home not a week ago to the day, and he'd greeted him graciously, if not a little nervously. Apparently he'd not known of Haku's arrival and things were not in order. He apparently had not known of Haku's arrival, despite the many messages he'd sent the palace.

As for the palace itself, he'd remembered vividly the few times he'd visited under Rami-Tarng's rule of bright orange and yellow banners of oriental flower patterns and symbols of peace hanging from the guttering along the patios. The gardens were immaculate and there were two great water fountains at the entrance. The palace was unique, being nestled at the base of a mountain and carved partially into the side.

This time, however, bright red banners flapped in the wind. One of the two fountains was bone dry and the other was not running. The water was green and smelt.

"You must excuse the mess," Jaikomaru had said as he bowed to Haku and ushered him inside. "We're still cleaning up. This place was a bit of a mess when I arrived. You know how unorganised it can be after the death of another Lord… well,_ you know_."

Jaikomaru was a tall man, though a little shorter than Haku. His skin was a little pinker than what Haku considered 'normal'. His eyes were ebony and his lips were long and thin and when he smiled the turned up ghoulishly. His hair was cropped and slicked down to the nape of his neck and was the same hue as Raijin's The man was strange, dressed in a long, crimson robe and black slippers.

"I'm telling you," Shinji's adolescent voice cut through Haku's reverie. "Watch that area very carefully, Haku. I can't tell you much, but what I can tell you is that I'm a member of a very underground group of resistance fighters."

Dal grunted by Shinji's side and his hand suddenly came down to plant on his shoulder.

Shinji jumped. "Cool it!" he cried to Dal. "Do you think I'd go to all this trouble to meet Lord Kohaku if I wished to overthrow him? No, the Western Lands have been troubling for years and this new Lord is young and ruthless, he'll be looking to expand the empire and gain as much as he can possibly. He's already shown how ruthless he's willing to be. I can't tell you any more than that."

Haku sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "If you want me to trust you and consider anything you're saying to be the truth you'll tell me where your hide out is."

Shinji hesitated and his eyes scanned around the room. Eventually, however, he murmured. "Up in the North there's a mountain there, you know it; your river runs nearby. Mount Clarimont."

Haku jotted the name down on a notepad. "I know it."

"There's a small cave you enter by the west side, it's been blocked with large boulder. We've got our small headquarters in there."

Haku hummed gently. "I may be around to check your validity sometime in the future."

"Do," Shinji replied.

Haku made some more notes on a piece of paper before stowing it away.

"Stay a little longer, even a few more days if you have nowhere else to be. I would like to converse with you more," Haku said. "Stay in the guest room this time. Perhaps you also have a few questions for me about your brother. I should like to know more about Hotaru's former life. He is a friend of mine and I was saddened I could not do any more for him. He is a good man."

Shinji nodded and a ghost of a smile caressed his features. "Thank you. I think I would like that."

* * *

Two weeks passed within the Imperial Palace and a lonesome Friday morning found Chihiro trying on her wedding dress in the silence and seclusion of their bedroom. She'd had to suck in her stomach a little and laughed when the fabric pulled a little tight around the hips and waist. The bottom of the dress fanned out a little around her legs and knees but the dress was still rather figure-hugging.

_Definitely what every pregnant woman needs, _Chihiro grumbled, adjusting the strapless cups around her breasts so they sat a little better. Her stomach was not the only thing that was growing, much to Haku's amusement and delight.

"Don't grow too quickly, baby," she murmured, looking at her reflection in the mirror. Physically, you couldn't tell much of a difference but the fabric was a little taut and it was a little uncomfortable. Chihiro sighed a little and shook her head. It would have to do. She'd paid too much for it to possibly never wear it.

In the two weeks that had passed a lot and not much had happened. Shinji had loitered around the palace for the time, staying in a guest room but word was he was preparing to leave today. She'd set a date, not two weeks from now for their wedding and things were being put into action at the bathhouse. Chase, master of all ceremonies big and small, assured Chihiro that all she would have to do is show up.

Chihiro sighed and put the gown away. The nausea had passed this morning and she was feeling better than ever coming into lunchtime, albeit a little hungry when a page boy knocked on the front door and asked if Lady Chihiro would accompany him to meet the Lord in the throne room.

The palace still did not know she was pregnant. But then again, neither did her parents. By the time autumn rolled around again, they'd know she was pregnant when she greeted them with her swollen belly and her back-aches. Chihiro snickered over this walking through the hallways, on her father's shocked reaction and her mother's flustering happiness. She was still chuckling when she was greeted with the great door to the throne room. It creaked loudly as it was pushed open.

The page boy waited behind and closed the door as Chihiro entered. On the podium was Haku, standing tall and chatting with a smaller lady with a little baby on her hip. The baby was laughing and playing with handfuls of her mother's tunic. That mother was Chase, handing Haku the bathhouse records and the baby was the almost one-year-old Aeala who was developing leaps and bounds these days.

"Chihiro!" Chase cried, leaving Haku high and dry and running down to embrace her friend. "Wow, you're looking great. You're positively glowing!"

Haku chuckled and approached the woman, leaving the stack of binder bathhouse records on the desk on the podium.

"You're looking well yourself, Chase," Chihiro gushed. "I miss you guys so much. I wish I could visit more."

"It's only a twenty minute dragon ride," Chase huffed and looked at Haku. "What – don't you think we can look after her?"

"On the contrary," Haku grinned. "I'm far too selfish."

Chase sighed and ran her hand over her baby's crop of feathery blonde hair. "Honestly, you should come through. I think Rin misses you more than you know."

Haku looked away and found the high roof of the throne room very interesting suddenly. There was a horribly heavy silence among the three of them, which a creak from the doors opening soon broke. A blonde-haired youth snuck into the Throne room accompanied by Dal, a thick wall of a man behind him.

"My Lord and Lady," he bowed respectively as he approached. "I've just come to say goodbye. I'm going up north again. Thank you for your hospitality these weeks."

"You're most welcome," Haku nodded. "Have safe travels."

Chihiro suddenly noticed Chase's curious eye on the young man and coughed gently.

"Shinji, this is my friend, Chase, and her daughter Aeala," she said, motioning to the two. Haku locked eyes with Chihiro for a moment and for the first time in a long time she couldn't tell what he was thinking. "They live at the bathhouse near midnight town."

"Shinji worked for Yubaba a long time ago," Haku explained, evidently tagging on the end of the game. "He was good friends with Hotaru. Shinji, this is Hotaru's mate and daughter."

Chase smiled and extended her hand to meet Shinji. "Nice to meet you – Shinji, wasn't it? Funny, Hotaru has never said anything about you."

"It was a little while ago, I'll admit," Shinji said sheepishly, but his gaze was focused on Aeala. "You're a little cutie, aren't you?" the little baby squealed as she was tickled in the ribs, climbing onto her mother's shoulder.

Chase grinned as Aeala tried to jump out to sit in Haku's arms. Chase caught the baby before she scrambled out and hitched her back over her hip. The baby started to fuss so Chase let her down around their feet. Instantly she latched onto the hems of Haku's pants. Chihiro laughed as Aeala tugged them down a little as she wobbly tried to stand.

"Aeala loves her Uncle Haku," Chase grinned at the baby. Chihiro sniggered.

"Stay for lunch, Chase?" Chihiro asked.

"Yes," Chase replied and suddenly brought out another stack of papers from a satchel and handed them to Chihiro. The top paper was a draft of some possible canapés that could be served, and bottles of wine to be ordered. "We have a lot to discuss."

Shinji made his exit then, exchanging brief words before the two parties left in different directions – Shinji and Dal out the large golden door and Chihiro, Haku, Chase and Aeala towards Haku and Chihiro's private quarters for lunch.

Lunch was served as great seafood garden salads and cold, carved roasted meat and though at that moment, Chihiro terribly craved a peanut butter and pickle sandwich with a hot chocolate, she didn't say anything and found that the large prawns that adorned the edges of the salad were absolutely delicious. She'd sneak into the kitchen later when Haku had gone back to work and get her fill.

They ate in silence for a long time, Aeala was sitting the table beside her mother. With no high chair available, the baby played with her mother's food like a kitten would, only eating it when she was sure it was completely dead.

"So this wedding," Chase said eventually. "We have a lot to go over."

"Like what?" Chihiro frowned. She'd thought it to be rather straight forward...

"Well, you have to kind of, you know, have a say and not let me control everything," Chase huffed. "I don't know much about human ceremonies – only what you told me over the phone, Chihiro."

"I have ideas," Chihiro admitted. "What do you think, Haku?"

"As long as we're married by human customs, you can organise whatever you like," he admitted. "You handle human customs, Chihiro and I'll handle spirit." There was a dark glimmer in his emerald eyes Chihiro couldn't place.

"Sounds fair," she conceded. Mentally she reminded herself to study up on what exactly happened in a spirit mating ritual.

"I was going to ask," Chase piped up. "Since Chihiro hasn't been back to the bathhouse for a while, she could come back for the week before the ceremony and work things out."

"We're planning on escaping to the river up north for a few days after the ceremony," Chihiro looked at Haku nervously. "That might be a nice idea, what do you think, Haku?"

"It's fine with me," he replied. "Human traditions speaks the bride should be out of the company of the groom for a while, doesn't it? The only problem I have is that I cannot take you. Perhaps Ismene…"

"You can't be too busy for a twenty minute flight, Haku!" Chase rolled her eyes, snatching the spoon away from her daughter as she began to suck on it and replaced it with a hard biscuit. "I can manage to travel with a ten month old baby; you can find an hour to bring her over."

"Ismene may be better," Chihiro conceded. Being able to simultaneously travel through space had its advantages. "It's certainly less bumpy."

"Bumpy," Haku scoffed and rolled his eyes. A hand smoothed down Chihiro's forearm affectionately.

Aeala dropped her biscuit and began to fuss, and it was clear Chase had not heard any of the conversation because she was still rattling on about finding time being a busy mother to visit the palace regularly and he couldn't even bother making a quick trip to see them. It was obvious she had gotten herself riled up into quite a rant when she plonked her daughter on her lap.

"I'm sorry I haven't been around, Chase," Chihiro admitted gently. "But I've only just settled in here. Things have been happening so quickly – I didn't even realise."

"I think Rin will really love seeing you if you can come over for that week. I don't know – I think she's going through a rough patch. She doesn't talk to anyone anymore. I haven't seen her out in a long time."

Chihiro bit her lip and felt a little guilty. Had she just abandoned her friend?

"I'll go," Chihiro nodded. "I'll come on Monday next week." She looked to Haku. "That's alright, isn't it?"

"Go," Haku nodded. "It will be fine."

Chihiro smiled tightly at her to-be-mate. "Just don't leave me at the altar."

"And let somebody else scoop you up?" he kissed her mouth quickly. "No chance."

That peanut butter and pickles sandwich was really calling her right now.

Pushing down her cravings, Chihiro looked to her friend. "Um, Chase," she said nervously. "We have something else we need to tell you."

Chase looked up from her daughter. "Shoot."

Chihiro bit her lip. "Well… you have to promise not to tell anyone, alright? I haven't told anyone except for you, but Haku and I are expecting a baby."

"What?" Chase gaped. "Are you serious?"

Haku nodded. "Very serious, this is why your secrecy is important. We don't want the palace knowing about this until things have settled down again."

Chase seemed flustered and pushed her bangs from her face. "Um, wow, okay – I won't tell anyone, I swear."

"Not even Rin," Chihiro clarified sharply. "I'll tell her face-to-face next week."

"Yes, of course," Chase said and then the bakeneko frowned a little and her mouth quirked up into a smile. "Haku cast that fertility spell on you months ago. How in the world did you get pregnant? Those things can't be reversed."

Chihiro chuckled. "_Someone_ thought their magic was strong enough in the human world." Haku rolled his eyes and laughed gently. "Obviously it wasn't."

"Who told you were pregnant? Did you know in the human world?"

Chihiro shook her head. "No, I went to Zeniba's a few weeks ago and she told me rather bluntly. I had no idea until then."

Chase grinned. "Huh, that's funny." She looked down at Aeala. "You're going to have a little playmate soon, baby girl – how fun will that be?"

Aeala laughed and reached up to play with her overhanging locks. "What do you think, Haku?"

"I'm overjoyed," he replied back honestly, smiling at Chihiro. "I can't wait."

The plates were cleaned away and the room filled with happy, casual banter between the three people and occasionally an indecipherable input from Aeala. When Haku had gone back to work after a cup of tea, Chase sat down with Chihiro on the dining table and fished out her book of wedding plans.

"Alright," she started. Aeala was taking a nap on a make-shift bed of a few pillows guarded around her on the floor. "Let's get started – we have a lot of work to do. First things first – your wedding dress, does it still fit?"

* * *

Hotaru came in to his mate rolling back the linens on their futon. She looked wearied and she was ready for bed. He only hoped Aeala slept through the night.

Nestling into the covers, he turned the lap down low and shut the doors. Chase ran a glass comb through her hair and snuggled into Hotaru as he came to lay by her.

"How was the Palace today?" he asked gently.

"Good," Chase replied. "Really good." Then she stifled a yawn. "I promised not to tell anyone, but you're my mate… you won't tell anyone, right?"

Hotaru chuckled. "I have no friends to tell."

"True," Chase chuckled. "Well…," she leant in very close so her lips caressed Hotaru's earshell. "Chihiro's pregnant."

"No way," Hotaru replied. "Really?"

"Really."

"Wow…," he breathed and rolled onto his back. "Just, wow."

Chase leant on his chest and pouted. "He's so happy. They're both so happy. I think it will be tough, but Haku's wanted this for a long time."

"Yeah," Hotaru smiled, wrapping his arms around his mate. "I'm happy for them."

Chase yawned and rolled over so her back moulded snugly against Hotaru's. "Hey, something else – do you know a guy named Shinji?"

"Shinji?" Hotaru spoke. "No, I don't think I do, why?"

Chase shrugged. "Nothing, I was just wondering."

There was silence for a moment but it was obvious Hotaru had been pondering the question because he suddenly said, "The name sounds familiar, but I can't place him."

"Oh well," Chase sighed drowsily, nuzzling into her mate. "Don't worry about it. I'm sure it's nothing."

* * *

Ugh. I'm sorry I haven't updated until now. I was swamped with work on Sunday and the weekend. I'm still swamped actually so I'm going to skip over thanking all the reviewers, but please do know that I seriously love hearing from you guys. Recently you've been trying to guess how everything is going to play out, which I seriously love. I read every review you guys send to me, and answer those reviewers who have questions or would like some insight or advice into possibly a SA fanfic of their own. To those people thinking of writing a fanfic, especially in this fandom – do it! I've even read and reviewed a few exceptional SA fanfics some of my readers have written.

A big thank you to my editor, MissMileyRaion. Seriously. You do a great job.

Anyway, I don't have anything else left to say today. I'm super busy and don't want to ramble. Thank you so much for reviewing everyone, and I do hope you enjoyed this chapter. Please take the time to leave a quick review before you go and enjoy the rest of your day.

~ **Arlia'Devi.**


	17. XVII: Comforts and Concerns

**The Path of Water**

By Arlia'Devi

Disclaimer: I do not own Spirited Away in any respect; all rights go to Hayao Miyazaki and associates. I make no money from this.

**The Path of Water**

**XVII: Comforts and Concerns**

_"I have learned that only two things are necessary to keep one's wife happy. First, let her think she's having her own way. And second, let her have it."_**  
~ Lyndon B. Johnson**

The wedding invitations had been sent out, and within a few days, Haku was shuffling through some mail and received a number of RSVP's. Chihiro was in the bathroom, wiping her face when Haku leant against the doorframe and said,

"Rin, Zeniba and Chase have RSVP'd."

"I'd hope so," Chihiro replied. "It would be more than awkward if we're getting married and they're watching from the window. I hope it will be a nice day and we can go out in the gardens."

Haku was silent for a moment, and he seemed to be drifting off in space. Chihiro folded the towel and hung it back up before running a brush through her hair.

"What are you thinking about?" she asked.

He shrugged a little. "Just that you'll be pregnant during the winter. It hit you awfully hard last time."

Chihiro smiled and walked past him, out into the sunbathed white bedroom. "I didn't have you to keep me warm."

"Well," he corrected. "You did. But I suppose now we're a little cosier."

Chihiro laughed and pulled on a fitted cheongsam that fitted snugly over her tummy. At eight weeks, she wasn't sporting much more than a little bloating on her usually flat stomach, although her breasts had gotten a little bigger and considerably sorer.

"What are you doing today?" he asked.

Chihiro replied, "I think I'm going to go down to the Imperial library. I want to see if I can find some – any – human literature on pregnancy. Who knows what might have floated in there over the years."

Haku considered this. "True, although some of it might be severely out-dated. Are you going with Ayne?"

"Yes," Chihiro nodded, gathering a small hessian drop sack with a small bag of coins. "I was thinking about going down to the markets as well and getting some fresh fruit. I have a craving for some."

Haku laughed and agreed. "Alright – well, be safe."

"Working today as usual?" Chihiro cocked an eyebrow. Haku sighed and nodded.

"More insight into the Western Lands ordeal?" he shook his head. "Like I have better things to worry about – I wish they'd work themselves out."

Chihiro pouted and kissed her fiancé. "Good luck with it all."

"Want to switch places?" he offered cheekily.

Chihiro scoffed and grabbed her bag. "You? Deal with being pregnant? Please, one morning of throwing up and you'll be begging to be dealing with anything the Western Lands is throwing at you."

Haku chuckled. "Maybe."

Chihiro dashed out the quarters then and Haku was left to his own thoughts and devices as he got ready for the day. Yesterday, Shinji had travelled back to his hide-away in the northern mountains but not before meeting his sister-in-law and niece. True to his word, however, Shinji had only given Haku enough information to be interested, which he realised at been the youth's tactic. And, indeed, Haku was interested in what he had to say. Something had never sat well with him in regards to the Western Lands. For a long time he had thought it to be his own prejudices having gone through the war two millenniums ago where the Western Lands had been the enemy and completely dysfunctional and perhaps he'd held that thought for the millenniums since. He tried to not let it cloud his judgement, but even if he could adopt Chihiro's phrasing "only human", he couldn't help but revert back to his old mindset.

Haku sighed and pulled on his over robes, running a hand through his hair.

Shinji had not said much. In fact, he'd said very little in the two weeks which was why Haku had been annoyed, mainly because he'd been so interested in the little he'd given away. Shinji had added to the swirls of doubt pooling at the bottom of Haku's stomach – given fuel to those bad gut feelings by telling him all was not as it seemed in the Western Lands. He'd spoken about Jaikomaru, the new lord. Zeniba, many months ago, had also spoken of the same man and had warned Haku about him, but perhaps he'd been too preoccupied and stupid to foresee that it may effect himself and Chihiro, of whom he had no doubt he had been preoccupied _with_.

Was there really something going on there? Haku couldn't be sure. He knew he had to be astute about the matter, but honestly, his mind wanted to cruise along – he was getting married, having a child and beginning a life together with a woman he loved, was it wrong of him to want to mellow out for a while and forget everything? Was it too much to ask for things to stop being so dramatic for a while?

There was a knock on the door and Haku went to answer it, brushing off his sweeping robes. It was Dal. Without a word, but a small acknowledging nod, the two headed down the hallways towards the parliament.

It seemed, at least for now, the drama was here to stay.

* * *

Before lunch, Ayne accompanied Chihiro to the library – a great multiple story building across the Imperial Square. It looked like something out of ancient Rome – great tall columns that stretched multiple stories to support an almost flat, tiled roof. The building was made of white stone with golden writing engraved into the walls. There were numerous plaques for something or another, Chihiro noticed as they walked in. She also noticed that many spirits stopped to look at her and that made her feel a little nervous – what were they thinking. She tried to get that out of her mind and stuck closer to Ayne than ever.

"Is there anything you're looking for particularly, my lady?" Ayne asked as they entered the grand foyer. There was a large slug man, perhaps two or three metres higher than Chihiro was sitting behind a desk. As someone approached he would stretch up three or four times his size to grasp a book in the large bookshelf behind him – account books for loaning books.

Chihiro shook her head and turned back to Ayne.

"I want to go to the human section – do you think they'd have one?" Chihiro asked.

"Literature on humans…," Ayne frowned and went over to the large slug. For a moment Chihiro stood in the middle of the foyer, suddenly conscious of all the eyes on her in the high traffic area. They seemed to be looking at her, turning from their books and the shelves and their conversations just to stare at her. It was creepy and she felt worried, not only for her safety but for her baby's – there was a feeling that she should have touched her hand to her stomach, a strange maternal need to protect her baby from the eyes, but she willed her hands to stay by her side.

Ayne came back not a moment too soon.

"This way," she said and ushered Chihiro over to a staircase that spiralled up from the foyer to the second floor.

The library was extensive and multi-storied. There were probably thousands of grand bookcases filled to the brim with all the kinds of books anyone could ever dream of. She wondered if there was some spirit somewhere who had read every book in this library.

They pressed on to through the library, towards the back of the great building where the bookcases became dustier and less packed. Eventually they stopped at a small three tiered bookcase with some old, ratty leather bound tomes. There were only perhaps ten books in the tiny bookshelf.

"This is it?" Chihiro asked incredulously, her hopes for finding a modern book on pregnancy suddenly flat.

"This is it," Ayne confirmed. "Any books we have on humans, this is it."

"Wow," Chihiro picked one up – it was old and smelt funny. The book was rather thick and seemed to discuss a brief history of human society. Another was a shorter, but still considerable essay on the human condition and other psychological phenomenon spirits obviously didn't deal with, like an obsession with mortality. She'd hoped to find something modern and as Chihiro flicked through more books – a piece of writing that was actually written by a human.

"Do you think I could take these back to the Imperial Palace?" Chihiro asked, weighing a number of books in her hands.

Ayne nodded. "Sure, we can let them out. Will you read them?"

Chihiro sniggered a little and nodded. "I'm interested to see the kind of stuff they write about humans."

Ayne nodded. "Don't expect it to be all good."

"If there will be a single compliment in there, I'll be impressed."

"For all our faults, perhaps our snootiness is our worst," Ayne agreed with a small laugh.

Chihiro approached the slug in the foyer. His eyes were beady and black and his skin was scaly and looked slick to the touch like a human world slug grown to one-thousandth its normal size. He quickly arranged an account and wrote down details of the books Chihiro was letting before stowing the simple card in a simple but extensive filing system. The two then left the library and headed down towards the small shops and stalls that filled the Imperial Square. Chihiro slipped the books into her small knitted bag.

The smells and look of the food within the long but narrow streets of a bazaar close by had Chihiro's stomach growling, especially when she smelt an unmistakable aroma and, almost like a hungry zombie, was drawn to it.

"My lady," said the stall-keeper, very humbled and shocked as he bowed. "Welcome. Do you see anything you like? I assure you, it is all fresh and delicious."

In fact, Chihiro saw a lot she liked – but could she buy it? It wasn't that she didn't have the money or a reasonable excuse; it was a rather petty excuse in fact. She worried about the insanely large amount of teasing she'd receive from her other half for being pregnant and craving fish.

She loved the smell of it. She loved the look of it – the cut fillets lying on top of ice. She imagined its sweetness and the aroma of it cooking.

"I told Kohaku I would have a look for fish down in the markets today," she lied to Ayne sheepishly.

"Does my lady find something she likes? For my lady, half off!"

"You're very generous," Chihiro smiled and pointed to a group of medium-sized fish with white scales and yellow fins. "What do those taste like?"

The fishmonger nodded and pointed to some cut fillets. "Very sweet, very delicious. They are fresh water fish from the lakes around the waters in the northern mountains."

"I'll take a fish – actually make it two." She dug into her purse to pull out a small bag of gold coins. She handed the man two as he gave her the wrapped up fish. "Okay, thank you. Have a nice day!"

"This is too much," he protested as Chihiro went to leave, trying to give the money back. Chihiro shook her head.

"I'm sorry, I don't have any change. You'll just have to take it."

The fishmonger looked confused for a while, then Chihiro smiled and he slowly brought back his hand. "Thank you."

Ayne touched her shoulder gently. "Come, my lady, we should get back to the palace," she said gently, steering her out of the suddenly over-crowded bazaar. Unbeknownst to Chihiro's noticing, many spirits had gathered into the bazaar and had witnessed the generous task of donating to the fishmonger and the crowd made Ayne nervous.

They made their way back to the palace leisurely, but walking up all the steps in the heat of the day proved to be an ordeal in itself. By the time they'd reached the public foyer, Chihiro was hot, tired and famished.

"Can we get some lunch?" she asked, walking into the private quarters. Passing the throne room Haku was currently working in, there were a number of spirits lined up to speak with him.

"We can see if Lord Kohaku has time – he may want a break," Ayne nodded and went to reach for the door to the throne room.

"Actually," Chihiro clarified, touching the woman's hand. "Is it all right if we have lunch together somewhere private? I have a few questions."

Ayne seemed a little shocked if anything and nodded hastily. "Of course, my lady – let us go to the kitchen now. You can put that fish on ice for the chefs to cook tonight. I'm sure it will be very tasty, but if you wanted fish, we could have ordered it in."

Chihiro shrugged a little. "I think it was a spur of the moment thing. Haku was telling me this morning he wouldn't mind fish for dinner," she lied.

Ayne sighed, "I was just worried, is all. I didn't notice the crowd that had gathered around us when you were conversing with the fish monger. If one of them was ill towards you, I couldn't defend you – I don't want to know what my Lord would do to me if you were hurt, my Lady, or worse…"

They came to the kitchen.

Chihiro understood Ayne's worry. "Perhaps next time we may take some guards next time," Chihiro offered. "I had not meant to attract as much attention as I did – I was just going out to the library. I did it so easily in the human world, perhaps I am taking my safety for granted." Ayne seemed increasingly worried she'd made a wrong decision. Chihiro winked. "Just this once, we won't tell Haku… It's my fault, anyway. Next time, we'll know."

Ayne seemed relieved at this and the two ordered lunch before going to the terrace to sit underneath the shade. Out of the sun, it was a beautiful warm day. The two ate lunch in silence before Chihiro broke the serenity.

"I don't know anything about spirit mating," she admitted lowly. "There's some ceremony, but that's all I know and I'm supposed to be doing it by the end of this month – can you tell me about it?"

Chihiro looked to Ayne and found her pretty face suddenly very red.

"I-it depends on the t-type of, um, spirit," she replied a little chokingly. Chihiro very quickly got the idea that this was something not commonly spoken of. "Y-you would have to ask Lord Kohaku f-for the, um… _specifics_."

"… Do spirits not usually talk about this?" Chihiro only had Chase's experience to provide context, and the bakeneko had seemed pretty open about the whole thing. Even Haku, in some ways, had given her details such as it being very pleasurable, but that was it… She was in the dark and hated it.

"Not really, no," she replied shyly. "Perhaps some… but um, everyone already usually knows what to do."

"I tried to find some books about it in the library. There were none."

"Your kind has _books_ on it?" said Ayne.

Chihiro shrugged. "More or less. We have books on, you know," she cleared her throat. "_Sex_. People aren't really born with that knowledge so we have to learn about it."

"There are no books on it here," Ayne replied. "I cannot tell you much because mating practices differ between species. For example, dragon mating ceremonies may be different to another spirit because of the variances between their species. All spirits are different species. You employed a lot of frogs at the bathhouse, and the librarian was a great slug."

"What are you?" Chihiro asked. She suddenly regretted it not knowing if it was rude to ask of such.

Ayne smiled a little and played with her braid. "A dormouse spirit."

"What are other people in the palace? I always assume they are only human, probably because I never see their true form."

Ayne smiled.

"Ismene is the spirit of a fallow deer, that's why she can travel between places so quickly. The old lord, Sar'onga, was a turtle spirit. They say that a turtle spirit can live for up to one hundred thousand years."

"How long did he live?"

Ayne shrugged and bit into a dumpling. "I don't know. No one knows."

"I knew Zeniba and Yubaba were bird spirits," Chihiro replied. "Rin is a weasel spirit… Chase and Hotaru are both bakeneko – demon cat spirits."

"My natural enemy," Ayne joked with a warm laugh.

A kitchenhand came to collect the dishes and the two women fell into silence.

Ayne looked to Chihiro. "If you'd like specifics, the only one that can give it to you is Lord Kohaku. I know somewhere, dragon lore was written down but it would be an old tome and you might not even be able to find it. It may be hidden away in a great hoard."

"They wrote it down?" Chihiro frowned.

Ayne nodded. "Think about it, my lady, who is stronger? A dormouse or a dragon? Ever since the beginning of time, dragons have been the species of gods and protectors. Perhaps you didn't know of the elite society you are mating into?"

Chihiro bit her lip. "Perhaps."

* * *

Haku was on the phone. Zeniba was currently chewing his ear off about the upcoming wedding ceremony and he really wished Chihiro was here to palm her off to. It wasn't that he did not like speaking to Zeniba – in fact, once they got over the whole 'stealing her golden seal' ordeal, they had become quite close. No, the problem was that he had called Zeniba regarding any information she may have had about her sister and she had gone on to talk about the wedding, which would be all fine and good if only he had any idea about what she was talking about.

"Well, is it going to be big or small?" she'd insisted. "Can Bou and No Face come – now I know No Face may not be welcomed by the bathhouse, but he is such a docile and gentle creature these days, he's really a sweetheart, Haku – oops, I mean, Lord Kohaku." She had rattled on. "Now… how is the baking going?"

"Baking?" Haku frowned.

"You know that bun that is baking. How is it all going?"

Haku sighed, exasperated at Zeniba's moonspeak. "I really don't understand what you're going on about, Zeniba."

"Well fooey!" Zeniba tutted. "Tell my granddaughter to give me a call, alright?"

"I will," Haku promised. He was relieved this conversation was coming to a close. "Tell me if you see Yubaba. I'd like to speak with her. If she doesn't wish to come to the Imperial Palace, make sure she stays safe. She may have done some terrible things, but I don't want her getting hurt."

"Yubaba won't come around here – you know we fight like cats and dogs. We can't stand each other."

"Bou's there, however. Yubaba would do anything to see her son."

Zeniba hummed over the phone. "I suppose you're right. Oh! The cake is ready! Sorry, Haku, I have to run. See you at the wedding, darling."

Haku hung up the receiver.

He had not heard word of Yubaba for many months. It was unusual for her to drop away like that, and he'd been concerned for quite some time about the matter. It was strange to be worried about someone who had made him miserable for so long and had made him do some terrible things, and perhaps Haku was a little too nice – not forgiving, that was not a word he would use because, frankly, he didn't forgive her for the things she'd done to him or Chihiro… he just didn't want her getting caught up in whatever the hell was going on. He had an uneasy feeling in the bottom of his guts that she was.

When Chihiro entered the apartment, he put on a smile.

"Hello darling." He kissed her lips softly. "Did you get to the library?"

"Yes," Chihiro said, digging out some books from her bag. "I found all this human literature written by spirits. I'm very interested in reading it. What have you been up to?"

"Trying to find traces of Yubaba," Haku admitted. "I rang your grandmother, but she has not seen her. Zeniba also asks you to ring her back at a more convenient time."

Chihiro sat down in one of the lounge chairs in the study. "Why are you looking for Yubaba? Aren't you glad she's gone?"

Haku shrugged a little. "I'm just worried."

"For Yubaba?"

He nodded a little strangely. "I realise this is really… _weird_, considering everything that's happened with us and her but we haven't heard anything from her in months. I'm worried she's planning something. Maybe she's been caught up in the Western Lands. Maybe she wants to get back at me. I don't know."

Chihiro didn't reply to that, instead she sighed and fell back into the lounge.

"I'm worried about Rin," Chihiro admitted. Haku had gone to doing paperwork and looked up from the desk.

"How so?"

"She seems a little stand-offish. The last time I saw her we hardly ever spoke. She only came to see me once. I don't know. Maybe I'm just imagining it," Chihiro shook her head. "And then Chase came around and said something funny was going on with Rin. I hope the bathhouse isn't becoming too much for her, Haku…"

"I'm sure she's doing fine," he replied, signing a document and pushing it to the side. "You haven't been spending much time with her – maybe it is in your head. You weren't at the bathhouse for very long and only Chase comes to visit. Maybe you're overthinking things, Chihiro."

Chihiro pouted. She didn't like the tone of her dragon. "I don't think so."

Haku felt the hairs on the back of his neck spike up at Chihiro's tone and did his best to not make eye contact. Pregnant Chihiro was a lot more emotional than regular Chihiro, so he'd found out many times.

"Mark my words, Haku," she said, rising. "There's something going on there." And with that, she turned and stalked out the door.

Haku looked up to Chihiro walking up the hallway towards their bedroom before going back to paperwork thanking whatever fertility goddess that was looking over him at that moment for getting away so easily.

…. But perhaps Chihiro had been right to be worried. True, he had not heard from Rin in many months. At the bathhouse they spoke on nearly an everyday basis and now he hardly heard a peep from her. His mind made up, he grabbed a piece of paper and began to pen a letter.

_Rin,_

_I'm writing to see how you are faring with the bathhouse. I have the records which are fine, but I wish to know how you are handling the working load. Chihiro misses you dearly. Life at the palace is hardly as carefree as it was at the bathhouse and I believe she misses that. I don't know if Chase has informed you, but she will visit for a week while preparations are made for the ceremony. I hope you are well._

_Also, have you heard from Raijin? Chihiro seems to worry about him, also._

_Regards,_

_Haku._

He enveloped the letter and closed it with a wax seal before tying it to a small pigeon caged in the private garden and sending it on its way. Entering the grand bedroom once again, he noticed his to-be-mate curled up on their bed, her back facing away from the sun. A moment ago she had been moderately annoyed and him, and now she was drowsy; somewhere between consciousnesses. He knelt down and touched Chihiro's shoulder gently. The human fluttered awake.

"I just sent Rin a letter," Haku said. "I thought about what you said."

Chihiro gave a small smile and yawned. "I'm really tired. Your child is taking it out of me. I'm really hungry, too. Can you get me a cup of tea – with ginger in it? I didn't feel sick at all this morning, but I think I've just kind of crashed." She moaned and rolled onto her back.

Haku nodded. "The joys of pregnancy."

"Tea… ginger…," Chihiro pouted, holding his hand gently. "Please…"

Haku, with a sigh, gave into his future mates demands and went to retrieve the tea. He purposely manipulated it into being a big deal and a big favour but as he returned to the bedroom with a warm glass of ginger tea in his hand, only find Chihiro fast asleep, he couldn't help but smile and think, despite everything that was happening, how lucky he was.

* * *

Thank you to those people who reviewed the last chapter and the chapter before. I'd like to take this moment to actually thank everyone for chapters 15 & 16:

**Sokka2Me, DragonofYang, akira-chan101, Have a Nice Dream, ulquihime7980, DemonChild94, WhiteTiger246, FrostbittenLove, Watermelon23, BlackMoonStar10, Lore, DiamondInMyHeart, herro, Vegetaloverr135, Orangegirl101, LeeshyLoo, Nerocchi, ulquihime7980, GangstaSummoner, DragonofYang, Have a Nice Dream, akira-chan101, WhisperToTheWolves, raining-down-hearts, DemonChild94, Heartz4Jesus, KisaTiger12** and **michelle88222.**

Thank you very much to the people that reviewed the previous chapters. We also made it past 300 reviews, which is seriously amazing! I hope you all enjoyed this chapter, as well, and please leave a quick review before you go!

~** Arlia'Devi. **


	18. XIII: Jitters and Rattles

**The Path of Water**

By Arlia'Devi

Disclaimer: I do not own Spirited Away in any respect; all rights go to Hayao Miyazaki and associates. I make no money from this.

**The Path of Water**

**XVIII: Jitters and Rattles**

"_An insincere and evil friend is more to be feared than a wild beast; a wild beast may wound your body, but an evil friend will wound your mind."_

**~ Buddha.**

Chihiro hit eleven weeks pregnant the day she was supposed to arrive at the bathhouse for a week's stay before her wedding. She had not gained much weight, she didn't think – a little around the hips and bust, but her human clothes were considerably tighter. Every night when she rubbed skin oils into her stomach, she noted the slight swelling and roundness to her navel – she had such a small figure she usually had quite a flat stomach and a petite figure.

She'd taken to wearing a lot of formal robes as they draped down the front of her body and were rather loose fitting. Her jeans were getting a little uncomfortable and her stomach seemed to pop out of her casual tees and did nothing to disguise her stomach.

Chihiro sighed over her suitcase. Taking a break from his regular morning duties was Haku, sitting on the end of the bed.

"Why did I have to promise a week?" she muttered, folding a loose-fitting dress into the suitcase.

"Because you haven't seen Rin and Chase for months," Haku replied.

Chihiro huffed. "I just feel like shit. I want to crawl back into bed, not travel and have to converse with people."

She felt Haku's hand rest on her shoulder and his lips come down to kiss the back of her neck. "I can do something to make you feel a little better, if you'd like."

Chihiro shook her head. "No," she sighed. "No, it's nothing, Haku, I don't feel that bad really. I'm just grumpy I'm moving around and grumpy because I'm pregnant." She fell back onto his embrace. "Grumpy because I'll miss you."

"I'll miss you too." He kissed her gently. "I'm not going to stop worrying about you and our child."

Chihiro rubbed her stomach gently. "I wish I knew more about this. There is no information in the spirit world about human pregnancies."

"Human women survived thousands of years of reproduction without a book telling them what to do," Haku commented.

Chihiro narrowed her eyes. "Yes, that's true, though they had their mothers, sisters and aunties for guidance. Who do I have? A great lizard who hatched from an egg, a crow-witch for a grandmother and a friend who gave birth to an infant covered in thick fur!"

Haku kissed Chihiro's jawline gently. "I'm sorry."

Chihiro touched his hand gently. "It's all right. No one expected this to happen. I'm just scared that's all; scared that I don't know what to expect. I mean, my mother never even told me how long she was in labour with me."

"Don't you think I'm scared as well?" Haku asked. Chihiro turned to look at him over her shoulder. "Happy," he clarified. "But scared as well. I mean, we're going to have a little baby to look after and we're both very busy people. It's not like when I was a hatchling – this child will be dependent on us. It will have human bonding needs that it will need to fulfil with both of us."

For a while, Chihiro was silent in his arms. "Twelve weeks next week. That's the first trimester gone. Maybe when we get back from the river, we should announce it and start planning… I don't want to leave it until the last minute. We can put the baby in the yellow room, don't you think?"

Haku nodded and smiled. "I think that's a great idea." Gently he kissed her on the shoulder. "Ismene is waiting. Are you all packed?"

Chihiro nodded. "Yes, I think so."

He sat back down on the bed then, the mattress sinking under his weight and he ushered Chihiro to sit down next to him. When she did, he produced a small simply wrapped box in white with a pale yellow ribbon and handed it to her.

Chihiro frowned. "Is this for me?" she muttered, examining the box. "Why did you get me a present?"

"You'll see why. Open it." He encouraged.

Chihiro pulled at the wrapping and it came away easily to reveal a small white box with a lift-off lid. Carefully, Chihiro pulled off the lid to reveal a beautiful sterling silver and gold rattle resting on a small satin cushion.

"Oh, it's beautiful," Chihiro gushed, cradling the rattle in her hands. It was heavy and shone beautifully. Around the middle of the rattle was a golden band.

"I thought we might like something to commemorate the occasion."

"We do have something to commemorate the occasion," she reminded with a teasing smile. "A _baby_."

Haku nodded. "You're right. Here, give it back," he made a swipe for the present but Chihiro snatched it back. "I'll take it back."

"No," Chihiro whimpered. "I love it. It's beautiful."

His hand went up to gently brush Chihiro's cheekbone, sweeping away the hair that had fallen in front of her ear. She smiled gently and moved into his touch, kissing the inside of his wrist gently.

"If anything happens, you know you can call me. I'll leave immediately."

Chihiro rubbed down Haku's arm. "Nothing will happen. Rin and Chase and Hotaru will be there, and maybe I can even get some tips from Chase about babies." She zipped the suitcase shut. It was the same little carry-on suitcase she'd brought from home the first week she'd been living in the spirit world – the one that may have gotten lost in the fire if Haku had not intervened.

They walked slowly down the corridors until they came to the library where Ismene and Ayne were waiting. Haku had a meeting with the members of parliament immediately after Ismene arrived back from the bathhouse so Dal and the other members were probably waiting inside the Parliament Room.

Ismene was positively glowing with a smile plastered over her face as Chihiro approached her with Haku by her side. These days, he was always seen by her side so it would be interesting to see how he faired for this week.

"All right," Chihiro said. "I'll see you in a few days' time. _Don't_ be late." She narrowed her eyes at him.

"I won't be," he grinned and leant forward for a quick peck on the lips. Ismene had to supress a squeak of delight and looked to Ayne, who only rolled her eyes at Ismene's fluster. Oh, but she couldn't help it – they were such an adorable couple and she was so interested to see what her Lord was like outside of his duties.

"Okay," said Chihiro with a shaky breath. She picked up her travel bag and approached Ismene. "Let's go."

"As you wish, my lady," Ismene nodded and placed her hand on top of Chihiro's. With a last look over her shoulder to her handsome soon-to-be husband, Chihiro offered a gentle smile and then was gone.

* * *

Half a moment later, Chihiro stumbled to get to her feet underneath the giant arch to the bathhouse. Ismene gasped and grabbed her shoulders, attempting to steady her.

"My lady? Are you all right?"

"Yes," Chihiro groaned, keeling over a little. A sudden wave of nausea and dizziness had swept over her. "I just need to sit down for a moment."

"Lady Chihiro," a familiar voice called as she leant against the railing of the bridge. Hotaru approached quickly. "Are you okay?"

"You look as white as a ghost," Ismene bit her lip.

"I'm fine," Chihiro clarified. "Just don't tell Haku about this, please. He'll only worry. I'm just feeling a little sick."

Hotaru offered his weight, which Chihiro leant on as she tried to suppress the vomit creeping up her throat. Slowly, they started walking to the bathhouse.

"Let's get you comfortable and a glass of water," he said gently. "You shouldn't be travelling if you're not feeling well. You could have come tomorrow."

"I was feeling fine until I landed here," Chihiro grunted as they entered the bathhouse. It was bright and smelt of herbs, but she was feeling too off to notice any changes to the entrance. "Maybe my body isn't supposed to travel spontaneously like that. I am only human, you know."

Hotaru chuckled and suddenly his mate, Chase, was by his side, fussing over Chihiro until the woman eventually agreed to go up to the private quarters and lay down for a while. Hotaru turned back to Ismene.

"She'll be fine," Hotaru said. "You can go back to Haku. Just say everything went fine."

Ismene swallowed thickly. "And _lie_?" she muttered. "Lie to my Lord?"

"Yes," Hotaru replied. "Chihiro is right - he'll only worry."

She was uneasy about the whole situation and her eyes rose to the rafters of the roof and then back down again. Hotaru straightened out his tunic.

"She just needs a rest. It would have been better if she caught the train. I know it's slower, but in her condition it probably would have been the safest option." He sighed and looked up the balconies that lined the walls of the tall bathhouse. Spirits were bustling around, but it being the middle of the day, no guests were currently around.

Ismene frowned. "Condition? Has my Lady been ill? My Lord never told me that. Perhaps it would have been safer on the train, then..."

Hotaru looked around. So she really didn't know? Well, this was putting him a sort of predicament. Ismene looked expectantly and the atmosphere suddenly got very tense.

"I think I know what you're talking about," she said eventually, nodding. Her blue eyes were wide and the small of her mouth kicked up into a smile. "Mistress Ayne told me."

"I didn't think anyone really knew…," he muttered out eventually.

"That she's with child?"

"Quiet!" Hotaru hissed. A few spirits turned and looked at the conversing pair and the upstart, but then went back to their own conversations.

"I knew it!" Ismene yelped, clapping her hands. "No one really told me but I thought I felt it when I touched her hand, but I needed a confirmation. Oh this is so exciting! No wonder my Lord hasn't even left her side!"

"No one else can know about this," Hotaru warned lowly. "No one at the Palace. You keep this to yourself."

"Yes, yes," Ismene nodded before dusting down her white robes and straightening up. "Well, I must go; I have a meeting to attend to A.S.A.P. Goodbye!" And with that, she was gone.

For a moment, Hotaru just stood in the foyer, alone, just staring at the spot that the woman had been standing in. He had to wonder if she'd been genuinely concerned about Chihiro, of if she'd just wanted information about her pregnancy. Suddenly unsure of his actions and the woman's motives, Hotaru swallowed thickly and left the foyer, catching an elevator up to the top floors.

* * *

When he arrived in his own quarters, he saw his mate gently close the door to their master bedroom.

"She's asleep," she said gently. "We'll let her rest for a while. Aeala's in the nursery. Come on."

Hotaru followed Chase into the beige nursery where his infant daughter was playing with some make-shift blocks.

"It must be hard for her," he commented gently. "I mean, she's carrying something not entirely her species."

Chase shrugged a little. "Humans and spirits always interacted in times way before ours, Hotaru. Some of that must have resulted in children of some kind…"

The man shrugged a little. "I mean, sometimes I wondered if it was even possible they'd conceive a child. Dragons are usually hatched by eggs – two different blood temperatures."

"I do not think so deeply on the matter," Chase admitted as she reached down to pick up Aeala. "I'm just happy for them."

Hotaru sighed and sat down in the rocking chair beside the crib. It was evident he did think of such matters. Gently, with the ball of his foot, he began to rock the chair back and forth.

"I mean, will the child come out more dragon than human?" he asked.

Chase wiped the snot off Aeala's nose with a tissue. "I don't know. Probably if anything, it would come out more human than dragon. Why are you thinking about this? What does it matter as long as it's going to be loved and cared for? They both love each other so much, and Haku's always wanted children. It didn't happen as they'd planned but at least it happened."

Hotaru sighed and reached out for his daughter. The little girl happily nestled into her father's arms and clothes. Hotaru smiled into her feathery blonde hair and smoothed back the bangs from her face.

"You're right. I'm being ridiculous," he tickled Aeala gently and the little girl screamed in delight. "I suppose I just worry for her."

"She's sleeping!" Chase hissed and Hotaru plopped Aeala by his feet guiltily.

"Sorry," he whimpered.

In reality, in the room across the hall, Chihiro was not sleeping. She was lying on her back with her two hands pressed to her stomach and staring at the roof.

The dizziness was abating, but she still had that morning sickness feeling queasiness. She knew Chase and Hotaru were speaking in the next room over, but she couldn't make out the murmurings. Aeala suddenly started crying, or laughing, Chihiro didn't really know the difference, and then the room fell to silence.

She never liked being away from Haku, no matter how long it was. It made her feel uneasy and unsafe. He was always there to reassure her, even when he was busy he'd take a moment out to speak with her, or just to hold her and it was nice. It seemed while she was been pregnant, she was being drawn to him more than ever and his sudden absence had left her reeling.

Haku's presence was so soothing and his voice was so soft – it could melt her in even the worst moods. They'd agreed this week away would have been good for them, both because she was overdue in spending some time at the bathhouse and because the week away from each other would make the time they had on their honeymoon even sweeter.

Oh, yes, the honeymoon. Four delightful days away from _everything_ up in the northern mountains where his river ran. There wasn't any parliament; there was no bathhouse, no Ayne or Ismene, or Rin or Zeniba to think about. There were no Western Land problems up north, in their little paradise, it was only Haku, herself and their growing addition.

Chihiro fell asleep then, her head thinking about all the beautiful things she'd do with her dragon.

* * *

The morning meeting went as planned. Ismene was a little late and she sat down without so much as a word or a glance. They'd gone through the day's agenda quickly and ended the meeting around 10 a.m.

Normally, had the meeting finished so early, he would have made his way back to his quarters, which in the recent weeks would have found his to-be-mate either still sleeping in their bed or throwing up in their toilet.

He wouldn't arrive back to any of that. Haku sighed. It was going to be a long week.

"Lord Kohaku," a young page boy bowed and called his name. "You have a visitor waiting in the Throne room. It's Raijin – the thunder god."

_Raijin_? Haku frowned. What in the heavens did he want?

During the short walk to the Throne Room, Haku's mind was running wild. What if he wasn't himself? Chihiro had told him countlessly that there was something wrong with him and that he'd tried to take her somewhere that night a few weeks ago. He'd been concerned, like any normal fiancé was, but Raijin was one of his best friends, and Chihiro was his soul mate and everything was going so well – she was pregnant and they were getting married, he just didn't want to get involved with Raijin and the chaos that insured. Perhaps that made him a bad friend, or a bad person, but he'd been waiting three millenniums to settle down with the girl of his dreams – sixteen years of which he'd waited once he'd found her? Was that too much to ask for?

When he finally came to the Throne Room door, he sucked in a big breath of air. He hoped it was nothing too dire, but somewhere, in the pit of his stomach, he knew this wasn't going to go peachy.

Raijin stood, donned in a light blue robe with a dark encrusted metal belt and metal cuffs upon his wrists. His hair, that frightening white, stood on edge and in his left hand was his golden halberd.

"Raijin," Haku said as the page boy silently excused himself. "Good to see you again, friend."

Raijin turned to Haku almost in slow motion. Everything that Chihiro had said about Raijin to him suddenly flashed through his mind.

_He growled and made these horrible sounds in the back of his throat…_

_His eyes were rimmed with a sort of reddish hue…_

"Dearest Kohaku," Raijin grinned as he turned to embrace his old friend. His eyes were clear and his smile was wide. "Wow, what a place you have here, my friend!"

"Thank you," Haku said, instantly relieved. "How has life been fairing you?"

"Well," he replied. There was a sudden look of nervousness that flitted across his face Haku picked up. "I've been well…," he repeated again, this time with a little less conviction. "Where is your Chihiro?"

"She's visiting the bathhouse for the week," Haku responded. "She missed the time catching up with her friends. The Palace – she finds it boring."

Raijin chuckled. "I do not blame her."

Haku took a stroll up the platform to the throne and gracefully sat down. Raijin had not stepped up on the platform, but was at the foot of the small staircase looking up.

"Chihiro said she saw you while she was staying in the spirit world," he said it as casually as he could. "What did you get up to?"

The thunder god shrugged a little. "I visited her a few occasions. She seemed lonely and was happy for the company. I think she wanted the reassurance someone in the spirit world had not forgotten about her."

Haku's face fell. He knew she'd felt alone and rejected, but he'd been doing all he could at the time.

"I assure you, nothing debase happened," Raijin chuckled. "I was the proper gentleman, despite what you may think."

Haku smiled tightly.

"When did she arrive back here? I've heard she's been back for quite a few weeks now."

"Yes," he replied. "She's been back for a few weeks."

There was a tension in the air and Raijin seemed to sense it.

"Listen, Kohaku…," he said gently. "I know I wasn't always in favour of your choice to take a mate, let alone a human… but for what it is worth, I do like her. I think she's wonderful."

Unable to take it anymore, Haku suddenly snapped. "I want you to tell me about the night you tried to hurt her."

"What?" Raijin spluttered. "I would never-."

"You lied and told her I had sent you in hopes of making her go with you. A friend of mine was told of your plan just in time to stop you," Haku snarled, rising up from his throne and stalking down to where Raijin stood. Despite being younger than the thunder god, Haku was slightly taller. "I thought I could trust you, Raijin! Chihiro wants nothing to do with you."

"I've done nothing of the sort!" pleaded Raijin. "Kohaku, you have to believe me! I did nothing against your woman – I would never!"

Haku had nothing to say. He was so angry he couldn't think straight. How dare he come in and deny such an action!

"I have nothing left to say to you, Raijin," he bit back. "Get out."

The thunder god did not budge for a moment, his sky blue eyes downcast to the ground. Haku stood rigidly, his shoulders tense and his eyes hard. For once, he was glad Chihiro was not around. She didn't need the extra stress.

"That's what I wanted to speak with you about…," he murmured gently, his eyes flicking up from the ground to see Haku standing above him on the platform, his hard emerald eyes boring down upon him. "That night… something happened. I know it did. I just don't know what… I don't _remember_."

Haku growled, "What do you mean you can't remember? Chihiro remembers _clearly_."

"Then I wish to speak with her," Raijin requested. "Anything that can help me rid of this fuzziness. It's like I've drank too much and woken up on the other side."

"Are you sure you haven't drunk too much?"

"Kohaku…," Raijin replied seriously. "Eleven thousand years and I still cannot hold my liquor?"

"True," conceded the dragon.

"Friend," stated Raijin." I don't expect to be forgiven for whatever it is I've done, I just want to know what I did against you and your mate. I'm worried-," he trailed off and shook his head, scuffing his boot against the floorboards.

"What?" Haku sighed, falling into the throne once again. "What Raijin?"

Apprehensively, the thunder god looked up to his lord and, hopefully, his best friend. He swallowed thickly before admitting,

"I feel I may have done some wicked things…"

* * *

Thank you to all those people who reviewed the last chapter. I'm a little swamped with university essays at the moment (I'm writing one on Spirited Away at the moment! – fun times!), so although I haven't been writing that much for any of these fics, I'm so happy I have some of these chapters backed up and pre-written!

Cheers to all the reviewers who pushed us over 350 reviews! Seriously, that's awesome. Love it, so extra-super love to these guys:

**Heartz4Jesus, GangstaSummoner, Vikusya, Watermelon23, ulquihime7980, Sokka2Me, DragonofYang, litugreen, FrostbittenLove, Carly, akira-chan101, michelle88222, Superblueowl, DemonChild94** and **BlackMoonStar10.**

Next time on the Path of Water: Chihiro starts some serious wedding planning while Haku deals with his own problems back at the palace.

Please share the love. I'm going back to work on this essay, so I'd love to see some reviews when I check my inbox at the end of it. Hope you enjoyed the chapter! Work hard and prosper!

~ Arlia'Devi.


	19. XIX: Yellow

**The Path of Water**

By Arlia'Devi

Disclaimer: I do not own Spirited Away in any respect; all rights go to Hayao Miyazaki and associates. I make no money from this.

**The Path of Water**

**IXX: Yellow**

It was late in the afternoon when Chihiro finally rose. She was starving hungry having slept through lunch. Chase's apartment was empty, even Aeala wasn't around.

She made her way down to the mess halls to grab a bite to eat – a small tray of rice and some stir-fry and a glass of lemon water and sat down at a booth to eat by herself. The mess hall had a few people in it, though it was not overly crowded and she didn't get looks and glares from some of the guests or the employees, which was always nice.

Chihiro was almost finished her dinner when a familiar face walked in. It was Rin, dressed in a long black robe with her hair falling poker straight down her back. Her features were sharp, but she didn't look gaunt. In fact, Rin looked very good. Her shoulders were straight and broad for her athletic figure and her skin looked radiant.

Rin glanced around the mess hall and spied her, instantly approaching the human woman. It was evident she'd been the one Rin had been looking for.

"Hey you," Chihiro smiled as she finished off her stirfry as Rin approached.

"Hello," Rin replied with not exactly what Chihiro would call a smile. "You look well. Have you been?"

"Yes," Chihiro nodded. "How have you been Rin?"

"Fine," she replied a little bitingly.

Chihiro ushered to the booth opposite her. "Sit down. Please. I know you're busy, just for a second."

Rin nodded and she gracefully descended into the chair. It was then Chihiro noticed how beautiful her dress was. Indeed, it was a black robe – very traditional, very Rin. It had golden embroidered flowers around the hem and breast, running up to the neckline where there was a high collar. Rin's hair looked glossy and almost black as it fell behind her ears.

"You look really beautiful, Rin," Chihiro smiled.

Rin touched her hair almost self-consciously then and cleared her throat. "Do you think so?"

Chihiro nodded. "Your hair looks amazing and that dress is beautiful. Is this the way you dress everyday?"

"Well… yes," Rin replied. "A business woman has to look the part you know. Your wardrobe is probably dripping with expensive gowns."

Chihiro shrugged a little. "There are a couple," she admitted, though most of the time, she liked to get around in a very un-regal jeans and a t-shirt. "How have you been taking it here? We didn't talk that much when I was back last, are you finding it all right?"

Rin scoffed. "The place is still standing, isn't it?"

A little taken back by her abruptness, Chihiro nodded. "Well, I suppose it is, but that's not what I am asking Rin – are you okay?"

"I'm fine," she replied. "There's nothing to worry about. This is the best I've felt in years. Why are you asking?"

Chihiro suddenly felt Rin was becoming very defensive. "There's no reason. It's just a conversation, Rin." Wow, and she said spirits never got their periods? Perhaps that was right, but Rin was certainly suffering from some kind of PMS.

The sable spirit huffed and went back to eating. For a few minutes she ate without a word, until, while taking a sip of her water, Rin asked,

"How's the palace?"

Chihiro swallowed and replied. "Fine. A little boring. There's a lot of rules to abide by. It's not as so carefree as it was here; Haku worries a lot more. We miss the bathhouse and the life we used to have here."

Rin didn't say anything to that comment but kept eating. Chihiro had long finished her dinner and was only sitting there out of common courtesy. She decided to bring up a topic of conversation herself.

"Are you coming to the wedding?" she asked, though it sounded foolish because the ceremony was going to be held practically at her doorstep.

"Of course I am," replied Rin. "You don't think I'd miss it, do you?"

Chihiro managed a smile. Since when had it become so difficult to talk to Rin?

"No, I didn't."

"I sent in my RSVP and all," she continued. "You got it, didn't you?"

"Yes," she nodded. "We got it."

Rin nodded and the table fell back into silence. Chihiro picked at the few grains of rice that were left in her bowl with her chopsticks. When Chase and Aeala walked into the messhall and approached them, Chihiro was instantly relieved from the tense situation and mentally thanked the cat spirit for showing up when she did.

"Chop-chop, Chihiro," teased Chase. "We've got a lot to plan and order for the wedding. Tonight is organising night. I've got a bottle of wine and some flower catalogues to get through." She looked to Rin. "Want to join, Rin?"

"Sorry," grunted the sable spirit and inched herself out of the desk. "It's not my thing."

Chase scrunched up her nose. "There's alcohol there, although I'm going to be the only one drinking. Since when has alcohol not been your thing?"

"Since it involved ordering flowers," Rin replied with somewhat of a huff. "Besides, there's a lot of work to get done around here; I don't have time."

Chase gave Chihiro a poignant look as Rin walked away without another word. Chihiro rolled her eyes subtly as she rose and the look on her face seemed to tell it all.

"Has she been like this for long?" Chihiro hissed as they left the mess hall and entered a small elevator heading for the top floors.

Chase nodded. "Yeah, she's been walking around like something crawled up her ass for a few months now. That was typical Rin. Doesn't make a conversation, doesn't do anything social. She just works and goes to sleep – at least Haku was up for a conversation every now and then, you know, when he wasn't shoving his tongue down your throat in the more recent months!"

"Chase!" Chihiro cried, mortified. "I am the Lady of the Eastern Lands! You should speak to me with a little more respect!"

"Cut out that bullshit," Chase laughed. "And you know its bullshit. I'll speak to you however the way I want, my _Lady_. Though some lady you are – knocked up and not even married. Your kind would call it a disgrace."

Chihiro laughed and tickled Aeala, who reached out to be held by Chihiro. She took the baby into her arms, perching her on her hip as Aeala ran her grubby hands through Chihiro's loose, long hair.

"There's no alcohol is there?" Chihiro asked Chase. "I can't drink alcohol pregnant."

Chase shook her head. "We have some non-alcoholic wine left over somewhere. It was just for Rin's benefit. The Lord thought she may have done something social if drinking was in the picture."

Chihiro had to concede –the old Rin took any chance to socialise and drink. In fact, it was one of her most favourite past times. There was obviously something wrong with Rin, but being as stubborn as she could be, Chihiro knew there was little she could do about it except to let Rin figure it out on her own.

* * *

Back in the Imperial Palace, Haku and Raijin had retired to his quarters, both thankful for the solitude and silence that fell within the chambers. They sat at the dining table, facing each other. There was a pot of tea steaming, but no one touched it, as were there two cups and saucer settings sitting beside it.

Raijin sat with his head in his hands. Haku, across the table was torn. Raijin was one of his oldest friends; but then there was the safety of Chihiro and their unborn child together. He could not be loyal to both – if Chihiro found out he'd let Raijin go, she would be upset, not only because of what had tried to do to her, but because she'd already forgiven him and was worried for him.

Yet, Raijin did not seem to recall any memory of those events taking place. He remembered visiting Chihiro, yes, of two accounts which he confirmed Chihiro had told him to be true many weeks ago – only of two accounts he'd visited her, until the night he'd tried to kidnap her.

But where had he tried to take her? What was his plan and why? Those questions couldn't be answered and suddenly Haku felt more like a pawn in a chess game – or perhaps, more accurately: a king who was being checkmated by a pawn.

"Did she tell you what happened that night?" Raijin asked hoarsely.

Haku nodded but said nothing.

"Well," demanded the thunder god. "Pray – tell me!"

"You may not want to know," replied Haku honestly, albeit a little sourly.

"I do, trust me, friend, I do."

Haku sucked in a sharp breath before drumming his fingers across the table.

"She told me you came to her one night but you did not seem yourself. She said your eyes looked strange but Chihiro did not go into much detail…," he shook his head. "You tried to convince her to go with you and then the bakeneko Hotaru showed up and Chihiro left with him."

"Is that all?" Raijin asked.

"I think so," Haku lied.

"I remember waking up and being angry and not knowing why," he replied. "I woke up in the human world a long, long way away, on the edge of a lake."

"Chihiro said you fought with the bakeneko," he admitted reluctantly. "She said that she ran into the forest for cover. The bakeneko was unharmed."

"A bakeneko from the bathhouse? The little woman?"

"No," Haku shook his head. "Her mate."

Raijin sighed and reached for the pot of tea. It had gone cold by that point but a quick spark that he produced from his palm had it boiling over again. He poured himself a cup of tea and then Haku.

"I would never do something like that to you, Haku," Raijin said honestly, something shining in his sky-blue eyes. "I know we've had our difference – that we still have our differences, but you're one of my dearest friends. I only want you to be happy."

Haku offered his friend a tight smile. "Thank you, Raijin, that means a lot to me."

The thunder god nodded, though it seemed Haku's response didn't mean as much as Haku had thought to him. Raijin was possibly still self-loathing and slightly depressed. There wasn't much Haku could do to convince him.

"When is your mateship ceremony?" Raijin asked over his cup of tea after a long streak of silence had gone between them.

Haku tensed up. "Five days time."

Raijin did not reply he only looked into the tea dregs at the bottom of his cup.

"I'm sorry, Raijin," Haku replied. "Chihiro and I-,"

"I don't blame you," Raijin replied. "I understand."

"I feel horrible about it. Chihiro was terrified but she's also worried about you, Raijin. We decided it would be best if we had a small ceremony out of the public eye."

The thunder god said very little and Haku did the same. He didn't feel like he should talk – what was he supposed to say, anyway? That he was sorry? Was he supposed to feel bad? He did feel a little bad, but he couldn't help the way things had turned out.

Raijin seemed to feel it was time to leave so rose from his chair.

"Thanks for your time, my lord," he said formally. "I wish you well. You and your mate."

"Raijin," Haku called to his friend's fleeting figure – he was making his way to the open window. The thunder god turned slowly.

"Look after yourself," Haku replied. "I care deeply for you. Don't go looking for trouble."

"I don't look for trouble," Raijin replied a little bitterly. His foot was on the edge of the window sill. "It seems to find me." And then, he was gone.

Haku stood in his empty apartment, looking to the window for a while. There seemed nothing else to do than that.

* * *

Much happier things were going on at the bathhouse. It was night and to Chihiro, seeing the bathhouse bustling with visitors and everything in full swing made her heart swell. It felt just like home again. She only wished Haku was here with her to take it all in. Then it would be like old times; the days she longed to relive.

She and Chase were in Chase's apartment, sititng on the bed while Aeala played on a toy-mat on the floor. Once occupied the kitten was a quiet baby – Chihiro supposed she got that from both her parents, though Hotaru was the more reserved one of the two.

"So," Chase said, opening up a catalogue of flowers. "What flowers were you looking at ordering? How do you want it decorated? What do you want as your bouquet? What sorts of coverings on the chairs do you want? Are you having a reception or just a ceremony?"

"Wow – slow down!" Chihiro chuckled. "Just a second here, Chase. Let me get to one question at a time."

"Fine," Chase replied. "Flowers?"

"The roses look nice."

"What colour then?" Chase asked. "Red, white, pink, yellow?"

Chihiro thought for a moment and for a second realised how ridiculous this entire situation was. She didn't care what colour the roses were – as long as her groom was standing at the arch, waiting and eager, safe and sound then that was all that mattered to her. However, she also knew she had to provide Chase an answer and so replied,

"Yellow."

"Why _yellow_?" Chase asked.

Chihiro gave a little shrug and smiled. "Yellow is a colour that means a lot to us, that's all."

Chase circled 'yellow' without another question and then went on to the next point on the list that needed to be addressed. This went on through most of the night – Aeala was put to bed at one point, between ordering the wedding cake and the petals that were to scatter on the ground between the rows of chairs.

"Now, seating arrangements," Chase said. "Is there anyone who wouldn't want to sit next to anyone else?"

Chihiro shrugged. "I don't know, you tell me. I'm happy for people to sit where they want."

Chase gave a mock gasp. "And let things fall into anarchy? Not while I'm planning. Also, the big question is, since you're not having a reception how long are you going to stay around after the wedding? I mean, you're having the honeymoon up north. Are you leaving straight after the ceremony for it or are you going to hang around?"

That was a good question and with an answer Chihiro didn't know if she could provide.

"You don't want a party?" Chase pouted. "Not even a little one."

"I don't know…," Chihiro bit her lip. "I don't know much of Haku's agenda in regards to the honeymoon. It's his river so I suppose I was going to leave it all up to them."

Chase sighed and rubbed her eyes. "It's alright, we can think about that later. It's late. Maybe we should get some rest."

Chihiro nodded and gave in. Sleep did sound good. She wasn't used to how late the bathhouse worked and it was creeping onto 2am. The last thing she wanted was her sleeping pattern to be out of sync.

Saying her goodbyes to the bakeneko family, Chihiro retired back to her quarters – the bed had been made up in the apartment she and Haku had lived together; their old bed. Feeling more at home than ever on a familiar mattress, Chihiro went to sleep and hoped she'd dream of her dragon that night.

* * *

Back at the Imperial Palace it was unfortunate Haku wasn't having as peaceful a night sleep as Chihiro half a thousand miles away. It was late at night and he had finished all his work. In fact, he was beside himself as to what to do. He could read books, perhaps, or start the followings day's work to get ahead. That last option probably would have been the best but he just couldn't bring himself to sit down.

In all honestly, Haku was pacing the floors of his bedroom absolutely sick with worry.

His mate and his child weren't by his side and it was doing his head in.

The moment she'd left he'd felt worried and in the hours that had passed and now his worry had climaxed. He couldn't sleep; he couldn't focus on anything without her. All Haku could do was wonder what she was doing. _Sleeping, probably like nothing is amiss_ – he realised sourly and fell on to the bed with a sigh.

He'd grown accustomed to sleeping beside Chihiro again. One of the things he loved after retiring was cuddling next to her and running his hand over her stomach to feel for the little one. He'd do it a few times a week, reaching into her womb to stir the life force that resided in there. It was so tiny. It was so unbelievable that something like that existed and that it was growing. Chihiro would smile and roll over for to watch the expressions play across his face.

Haku got up from the bed and began pacing again. He just couldn't sit still. He wanted them back by his side – back where it was safe. Where he could touch her and hold her and _smell_ her; oh her scent was one of the things he missed - how it drew him to her. He'd never felt so controlled by his emotions and instincts before; he was feeling paranoid, protective and paternal all at the same time and he didn't know how much longer he could take of this – certainly not another week.

What if something happened to them? What if Chihiro felt particularly sick and he wasn't there? What if someone accidentally bumped into her and she hurt herself in some way? It was unthinkable! Haku didn't want to put her in a glass bubble – just where he could see her!

With a groan Haku fell back onto his bed, looking to the ceiling blankly. He knew that, like the rest of the nights until his wedding, he would not be getting much sleep.

* * *

Thank you for the support for this fanfiction. I always love reading your reviews and PM's… even if it takes me a while to respond to them!

Anyway, this week's fantastic reviewers were:

**Heartz4Jesus, Sokka2Me, ulquihime7980, Kayla, Watermelon23, WhisperToTheWolves, raining-down-hearts, BlackMoonStar10, WhiteTiger246, DemonChild94, Randomsam123, DragonofYang** and **KisaTiger12.**

Thanks to everyone who read and reviewed this story.

Next time on the Path of Water: Haku travels to the Bathhouse in anticipation for the wedding. Meanwhile Chihiro bonds with her girlfriends.

Please take the time to leave a quick review!

~** Arlia'Devi**


	20. XX: The Wedding

**The Path of Water**

By Arlia'Devi

Disclaimer: I do not own Spirited Away in any respect; all rights go to Hayao Miyazaki and associates. I make no money from this.

**The Path of Water**

**XX: The Wedding**

"Zeniba's here," Hotaru announced as he entered Chihiro's room on the day of her wedding. The human woman groaned and rolled over in the middle of their large bed, taking the covers with her. Hitched on Hotaru's hip was his toddler daughter, Aeala.

"Already?" Chihiro groaned, fumbling for her watch on the bedside table. It's face read 7:06am. "The wedding isn't for another seven hours."

"You'd better get up," Hotaru said. "She's been asking for you."

Chihiro rolled over again so her back was facing the light that streamed through the shoji doors.

"As Lady of these lands, I decree I'm allowed to sleep in until eight o'clock," she grumbled and gathered up her pillow. Despite what she was saying, Chihiro knew it would be no use – now she had been woken up, she'd be too excited to go back to sleep. Today was her wedding day: the day she would bind herself with Haku for eternity, the day they cemented their love for each other in both spirit and human terms.

Suddenly wide awake and with a new motivation to visit her grandmother in the early hours of the morning, Chihiro rolled out of bed and began to get dressed.

"Tell Granny I'll be down to see her in fifteen minutes please, Hotaru," Chihiro asked, trying to supress the wave of nausea rising up from standing up too quickly.

"Of course," Hotaru said and turned to leave. Aeala climbed over her father's shoulder to try and reach out for Chihiro but the bakeneko left the room before she had a chance to squeal for attention.

It was her big day, but unsurprisingly, Chihiro was feeling a less than average. Morning sickness was clubbing her in the head and she was immensely glad they'd decided to go for something low-key rather than a great big celebration. She could handle a small ceremony with their close friends feeling a little off.

_You'll be seeing Haku by the end of the day… by the end of the day you'll be married…_ she repeated to herself.

Chihiro stumbled into the bathroom, spitting into the toilet basin and trying to push back the urge to vomit. It wasn't the thought of marrying that was so sickening, but quite the contrary. The thought and the smell of breakfast resting on the table just outside her door.

After today, she was married. After today, she was really the Lady of the Eastern Lands – there would be no disputing she was a sort of human lover the Lord kept around because he was fondly interested in her, no disputing of the love between them. Chihiro swallowed thickly and climbed into the shower. She'd probably be a little late with her meeting with Zeniba, but she was sure the Witch would not mind.

If her dragon was here, he would probably tell her how foolish it was to be thinking and stressing out about what everything meant – he'd say to her that it was just them and they were together and that was all that mattered. Chihiro tried thinking of this, she tried breathing calmly but she was still shaken. How she wished he was here.

The week had been long. She wished she'd never promised a week at the bathhouse. The one thing she'd learned from today was that indeed, the bathhouse had changed. It wasn't like when she had lived there with Haku and everything seemed happy and perfect. Rin, for example, hardly spoke to her in the time she'd been staying here and always had this aloof, careless gaze to her. The only communication she made was with the slugs and frogs that worked at the bathhouse, or for Chase to do this or for Hotaru to do that… Chihiro actually felt sorry for Chase. She'd thought Rin had been her friend but it seemed she'd only been close to Rin through Chihiro. When Chihiro had left, their relationship fell apart.

Chihiro stepped out of the shower and donned a light, breezy white tunic and pants before brushing her hair and heading down the elevator to meet Zeniba. She hoped Zeniba had ordered breakfast – she was unsurprisingly, very hungry.

Zeniba was dressed in her usual gown and gems when Chihiro entered the guest room. No Face was there, pouring the tea as hot, steaming plates of all assortments of breakfast foods sat on the table. Bou was asleep in the adjoining room and was not scheduled to rise for a few hours.

"Oh darling, I'm so glad you made it," Zeniba cried, catching her granddaughter into a great embrace. "This is a special, special day for you! I'm so glad you're well."

"Thanks Granny. It's good to see you too." Chihiro hugged her grandmother back before going to sit down at the table, her sights set on food.

"Just a moment," Zeniba giggled and caught Chihiro's arm gently. She paid special attention to her stomach as she cooed, "Oh little one – you've grown a lot since I saw you last! You've gotten much stronger!"

Chihiro chuckled and ran a hand over her stomach.

"And right now it's calling out for food," she laughed and went over to help herself to breakfast. "You woke me up so early, it's only right you feed me breakfast."

Zeniba chuckled and sat down to have a cup of tea.

"Are you nervous, darling?" she asked.

Chihiro shrugged a little though she knew her blasé attitude was a lie. "I'm more excited to be spending time with Haku. We're having a holiday for a few days up in the north. It should be relaxing."

Zeniba smiled across the table. "The child is growing well, you know. I know you haven't told anyone yet."

Chihiro nodded and took a bite of her croissant. "I know – I just had a worry we'd announce it and create all this fuss and then something terrible would happen," she sighed.

Zeniba watched Chihiro carefully. "That seems rational," she said. "Though Chihiro, nothing is going to happen to this baby. It's perfectly healthy and safe. Why don't you tell me the real reason?"

Chihiro conceded with a sigh. "All right," she grumbled, rolling her eyes at how Zeniba seemed to want to weed everything out of her. "I guess… I guess it just feels wrong telling everyone when not even my parents know." She gave her croissant a tough bite, tearing the pastry. "I wish I could tell them."

"It must be hard," Zeniba sighed. "Your mother would be able to tell you so much."

Chihiro nodded. "There are no books on human pregnancies in the spirit world and all spirit pregnancies are… _different_. Haku hatched from an egg for crying out loud. He tries to understand but he doesn't really know what I'm going through."

Zeniba nodded and poured Chihiro a cup of tea. She took a drink of it and instantly felt a little better.

"Is there something in this?" Chihiro asked Zeniba accusingly.

"Nothing," she replied. "The tea is infused with the root of the arrowbark tree – it's said to give one tranquility in stressful situations. I figured you could use a cup or two."

"Thanks, Granny."

No Face appeared from the backroom and greeted Chihiro with a series of grunts and hand gestures before disappearing into Bou's room, passing right through the wooden door and to the other side.

"I have a question I want to ask you, Granny," Chihiro murmured across the table. "It's a little awkward, but I just don't know what I'm getting myself into I-,"

"Want to know what happens in spirit mateship ceremonies?"

"How did you know?" Chihiro gaped.

Zeniba cackled. "It was written all over your beet-red face, Chihiro, my dear!"

She sighed and shook her head. "I'm sorry but everyone is being really cryptic on the subject – I've asked Haku a million times what's going to happen. I hate being in the dark on this."

Zeniba shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know, Chihiro, dragon lore is very old and very mysterious. They one of the first spirits, you know – even I don't know much about your other half's species."

"You must know something!" Chihiro cried, exasperated.

Zeniba thought for a moment. "Yes," she replied. "I do know something." Chihiro waited expectably across the table.

"I know that he loves you."

"Granny!-"

"Just wait, Chihiro," Zeniba scolded. "I know that Kohaku loves you, he would never do something to hurt you. Whatever he has planned is between you and him, I would not want to impose on something so private. Maybe you should consider the spirit customs of such a thing, Chihiro – dragons are a very secretive bunch of spirits, they have their lores, ways and morals and aren't inclined to speak about them. Maybe it's something they do not speak of."

Chihiro huffed. "It's just frustrating…," she admitted lowly. "It's not that I don't respect it…"

"He is respecting your culture, Chihiro. Do you sometimes treat him too much like a human just because he looks like one?"

Chihiro opened her mouth to speak but no words came out. Maybe that was true, but she never forgot who he was or what he was. It was one of the things she loved about him – he was her magical river dragon, her special person.

"… Sometimes, I suppose I do," she admitted. "But just because he _seems_ so human. It's easy to forget sometimes."

Zeniba hummed and poured herself another cup of tea. She offered another to Chihiro, who declined.

"It's not always a bad thing, Chihiro," Zeniba replied. "And Haku isn't like other dragons I've met. He was estranged for sixteen years and wound up at my sister's bathhouse. He's taken a human as a mate and desires to have and raise children. In most cases, instincts in dragons don't go much further than loyalty for their own kin, which especially doesn't include human women." Zeniba chuckled. "Maybe he is more human than dragon after all. I wonder where he got such a strange personality from."

Chihiro nodded. "He told me he knew his mother had on maternal instincts and he has never known his father. He said it didn't bother him but he wants to have a strong relationship with his children."

"Perhaps it came from spending all that time around humans…," Zeniba shrugged. "Or that time as one of the lost. Or the years of slavery."

Chihiro didn't reply. She'd found much interest in the bottom of her cup and suddenly wanted to see Haku more than ever. How long until the wedding?

"I wanted to give you this," Zeniba snapped Chihiro from her reverie as she presented her with a long, thin square box. "It was going to be mine on my wedding day… I think it should be yours."

Chihiro took the box carefully from her grandmother. It was obviously very old but in good condition. Gently taking off the top, a thin necklace of encrusted diamonds lay on a silk pillow. It was simple and it was elegant.

"It's beautiful," Chihiro gushed. "Is it silver?"

"White gold," Zeniba smiled. "My mother gave it to me when I announced my betrothal."

"Granny," Chihiro shook her head, attempting to give the box back. "Granny I can't take this."

"Take it," said Zeniba, pushing the box back to Chihiro. "Wear it today and then give it to your daughter. If you never have daughters, give it to your daughter in law. But I want you to have it today, Chihiro, please. It means a lot to me."

Chihiro nodded and folded the lid back over the jewellery box. "I'll take good care of it."

"That's my girl," Granny smiled. "Now off you go, you should start to get ready – I know preparations are already beginning out in the garden. Before you know it you'll be married."

Chihiro looked to her watch. It was eight-thirty already! She felt she'd only been speaking with her grandmother for a few minutes, not almost an hour. She got to her feet and quickly said goodbye to the two of them, making sure not to wake Bou and closing the shoji door quietly on her way out.

* * *

Haku looked at himself in the mirror and did not like at all what he saw. The week of restless sleep had left black bags under his eyes and his skin was pale and blotchy. Not the kind of face he wanted to take to his wedding. His hair was limp and didn't seem to shine. Sure, he could cast a spell to hide the black rings like he'd done all week but he'd hoped that last night, since he knew he'd be seeing Chihiro the following day would have calmed his nerves and he'd be able to sleep well.

Apparently not.

Haku sighed and got into the shower. He washed his hair and body before stepping out only to stare at himself in the mirror for a little longer. He looked a little thin – thinner than usual. His skin was lacklustre and he didn't feel at his best at all. A spell would make him visually appealing, but it wouldn't do anything for how poor he was feeling on the inside.

And he'd been waiting for this day for months! It was supposed to be a happy day.

"My Lord?" Ayne's voice echoed from the front door. Haku scrambled to get dressed. Her knock on the door echoed through the empty chambers.

Haku, dressed in a dark tunic and pants and bare feet, opened the door to Ayne. She was smiling and looked like she'd gotten a good night's rest. Her hair was thick and braided and she wore a white dress that brushed the floors.

"I just wanted to wish you luck for today, my Lord," she nodded. "Congratulations."

"Thank you," Haku replied honestly. A yawn overcame him, though he tried to stifle it. It did not go unmissed though Ayne did not choose to comment on it. "I am very excited."

"Please be assured business will run as usual here," she smiled. "Don't come back from your trip early. We will handle it."

"I appreciate it," Haku nodded. Ayne bowed before saying her goodbyes. Haku closed the door gently before going back to the mirror hoping his complexion had changed dramatically in the last few minutes.

It had not.

He cast a few spells to remove the bags under his eyes, then to spruce up his skin and hair. If Chihiro had been here, she'd be tutting her teeth off about how vain he was and how she didn't care if he didn't look his best – although if she was here he wouldn't have been having these problems. It was surprising what and a good night's sleep and his mate's body could do to one's complexion.

It was nine o'clock and Haku wanted to be at the bathhouse by lunch. He had a few more things to settle around the palace and then he would leave. With any luck he'd run into Chihiro before the ceremony, maybe she'd forgotten her lipstick or a hairpin and come across him in the halls. Haku smirked. He'd definitely make the most of that situation.

Tonight was nibbling in the back of his mind. It was exciting him and he was growing in anticipation every hour that passed until they were alone. Chihiro, of course, did not know what was going to transpire tonight – only that they would be together forever, bound in the eyes of spirits and humans. He knew that would agitate her a little, that she would be nervous and a little frustrated that she didn't know what was going to happen and Haku would be lying if he said that wasn't go to excite him a little.

It would be resisting Chihiro until tonight that would be the hardest aspect of today – resist kissing her, or stealing her away into a corner like he loved to do. He'd have to resist her until tonight – until he had permission to lose himself to her.

* * *

Chase was out in the bathhouse gardens when she looked up at the sun, dropping the chair at the end of a perfect line of three. The sun was getting higher so she went to the sundial – almost eleven!

"I have to go!" she called to Peata and various other bathhouse workers who were setting up the flowers in vases by the wedding arch. "This looks good – keep it all simple but make it classy."

Chase hurried up the stairs to the bathhouse, rushing past the staff getting ready for the morning. The guests allowed into the house would be severely numbered tonight – only half of the anticipated guests would be let in, most being regulars. With the ceremony being in the gardens and a party scheduled to finish late in the morning, staff would be partying all night given any excuse to party.

But right now Chase was late. She was late – very late.

She grabbed the next elevator for the top story, hoping everyone would already be there. When she finally got to the door of her apartment, high up in the bathhouse, she found her mate and her daughter standing under the threshold.

"You'd better get in there, darling," he chuckled. Aeala seemed upset and Hotaru handed her a small toy, which she rejected.

"What's wrong with Aeala?" Chase asked, running her palm over her daughter's feathery hair.

"She wants to be a part of the women's work."

Chase laughed. "One day, baby," she kissed her daughter's head.

"Not too soon, hopefully," Hotaru commented offhandedly. "You had better get in there. Rin's been waiting."

Chase smiled and rushed in, heading to the large bedroom. Chihiro sat at a boudoir with a light silk robe over her body. Rin was doing her hair silently but when Chase walked into the room, Rin gave the bakeneko woman a harsh look.

"Sorry I'm late…," she muttered sheepishly under the sable spirit's gaze.

"It's all right," Chihiro chirped. "Rin's doing my hair."

"How are you getting it done?" she looked to Rin with a smile but Rin was focused on loosening a curl with a hot roller.

"I love curls," Chihiro smiled. "In the human world whenever I went out I used to curl my hair with a hot iron. Rin said she could curl my hair using warm ceramic cylinders and wax."

"It's very simple," Rin muttered as she pulled out another warm cylinder that showed a glossy chocolate curl she held in her hand. "You coat the hair in wax so the curl will hold. You have to hold the curl until it cools otherwise the wax will not set and it will fall out."

"It looks beautiful, Rin."

Rin offered a tight smile as she dropped a curl that brushed around her shoulders. With half of Chihiro's hair curled and set, Chase went to her makeup draw.

"Do we even need to put makeup on you? You're practically glowing, Chihiro?" Chase grinned as she began to mix together a pot of foundation to Chihiro's skin pigment from a very traditional white base, using red and yellow ochre in small amounts to build up the colour.

"Please do," Chihiro asked. "I have great big bags under my eyes from all this wedding stress."

Chase laughed and began applying a smooth layer of foundation over Chihiro's face and neck, making sure to keep out of the way of Rin's hair styling. Once she finished the light layer of Chihiro's foundation she set it with a powder and began working on her eyes.

Rin's fingers came sweeping down the temples to gather Chihiro's hair towards back of her head, bringing the curls away from her face. Skilfully, Rin pulled a few strands out of Chihiro's fringe, parted on the side and let it curl away from her face. Grabbing a beautiful ivory and diamond comb from the boudoir stand, she fastened it into Chihiro's hair, letting the curls fall down her back and past her shoulders.

"You're going to look so gorgeous," Chase gushed, getting out some brown creams and began working on Chihiro's eyes, sweeping a translucent creamy base colour across the lid, then a darker, more chocolate shadow into the crease, working to the brow bone to define Chihiro's eyes.

"Is Haku here yet, do you know?" Chihiro asked, feeling awkward with her eyes closed as Chase rubbed a brush over her lids. "I have this horrible feeling he's going to be late."

"You're being paranoid," Chase tutted. "I don't know. I'll go find out after I finish your makeup."

"What's this?" Rin asked suddenly as she finished Chihiro's hair. She picked up a diamond necklace from the boudoir and showed it to Chihiro, who blinked away a brush to find Zeniba's necklace in Rin's slender fingers.

"That's Zeniba's necklace. She gave it to me to wear today. Zeniba was going to wear it on her wedding day, but her fiancé passed away."

"Oh, pretty," Rin's eyes dropped. Gently she unclasped the fastening and draped it around Chihiro's neck before carefully doing it back up again. "It looks beautiful on you."

"Thank you, Rin," she smiled, truly touched that it seemed like Rin was getting back to her old self. "My hair looks wonderful. Thank you so much."

Chase was applying a blush to the apples of Chihiro's cheeks as Rin went to the bed and picked up the great plastic cover containing the wedding dress.

"How do you get into it anyway? Will it go over your head – your hair might fall out…," she muttered, unzipping the plastic wrapping.

"No," Chihiro replied, getting up from the seat to pull the wedding dress, in all its white silkiness, from the plastic bag. "It has a corset back that should let me step into it."

"Does it still fit?" Chase asked, putting her makeup to the side for the moment. Chihiro pushed off her robe, revealing a white lace underwear set and a strapless bra.

"It did when I last tried it on."

"You've gained weight," Rin suddenly blurted. Chase looked to the woman in horror.

Chihiro, not one to usually be ashamed to walk around skimpily in front of her friends, suddenly felt a little self-conscious. She looked down at her protruding stomach. It was soft and bulging, only just so it was noticeable whee she was naked.

"_Rin_!" Chase hissed.

"It's all right," Chihiro muttered. "She's right. I have."

"It's not for nothing though!" Chase said, trying to come to her friend's defense.

Rin folded her arms over her chest. "What?" she said to Chase's glaring gaze with a finger.

Chihiro huffed and looked at her dress, and then to her stomach. Her hips and thighs had gotten wider and her breasts had gotten larger – something the strapless wedding dress wouldn't accommodate easily.

"I'm pregnant," she muttered, looking to the floor.

"What?" Rin said, more or less because she had not caught what Chihiro had said than she had not believed it.

"I have gained weight because I'm pregnant," Chihiro said a little clearer, feeling more than awkward standing half-naked in the middle of the room.

There was a great tension in the room and Chihiro just looked at her wedding dress.

"Is that why you moved the wedding forward?" Rin asked eventually. Chihiro only nodded.

"How long have you known?" it seemed that question was directed to Chase because she answered.

"A few weeks."

"Why didn't you tell me?" that question was for Chihiro.

Chihiro shrugged her shoulders a little. "I'm sorry… Haku and I haven't told anyone really yet-,"

"You told the cat!"

"Hey!" Chase retorted.

"Yes, I told Chase, but we haven't told anyone else Rin – with everything going, with it being so busy and restless I didn't want people to start rushing around… I wanted to wait until I knew I was really pregnant." She sighed. This wasn't easy. "I'm sorry, Rin. I was going to tell you after the wedding."

There was suddenly a knock at the door. Chihiro was glad for the distraction and Chase went to answer it.

* * *

Haku arrived at the bathhouse, landing in his old apartment suite and instantly smelling Chihiro – she'd been sleeping up here. Her scent was fresh and it was beautiful.

He didn't look around the bathhouse. For one, he didn't have the time and, for two, he didn't want to create a stir. No, he wanted to have a quick shower, get ready and then meet up with Chase and Rin to see how things were running. He wondered what Chihiro was doing at the moment. She had not been in the room for several hours and it was only noon; he hoped she had not woken too early – she would not stay up long tonight.

And he was looking at staying up for quite some time.

With a shower, Haku got dressed in his formal ... wedding attire. He pulled on his undershirt and fundoshi before putting on his dress shirt – a crisp, white long sleeve button up with embroidered detailing at the breast in white silk threat. His pants were also white and without a crease, falling straight to the hem around the ankle. Haku sighed and went for his jacket, a white frog-clasped coat with intricate detailing. With a shaky hand, Haku shouldered on his jacket and fastened down the frog clasps. Shaking out his hair and feeling more nervous as the moments passed by, he decided to seek out his future mate. Her scent in their old room was rather old, so he headed downstairs.

Haku did not have to search far, for in Chase's apartment a few floors under he heard a conversation coming from behind her doors and knew it had to be them. He knew, in human customs, it was wrong for him to seek her out like this – it was wrong for him to seek her out even in dragon lore but he just couldn't resist.

He knocked on the door. The conversation instantly came to a halt and Haku heard footsteps approaching to answer his knock. The door opened and Chase's head popped through.

"Oh it's you," she squeaked, not giving room for Haku to squeeze through. "Chihiro, you're dragon's here!"

There was silence for a moment before something fell to the ground with a clutter and a cry of, "Don't let him see me!" echoed throughout the floor. Haku laughed.

* * *

Thank you to the reviewers of the past chapter! They were…

**Sokka2Me, Heartz4Jesus, Herro, akira-chan101, LeeshyLoo, KoriStarAnders , ulquihime7980, WhisperToTheWolves, MewMewCloud, **and **DemonChild94.**

Things are slowing down for me at the moment. I'm in the middle/end of my University semester, and have a small mountain of assignments to write, and currently have some writing jobs that I actually get paid for (they exist!) to complete, so I haven't had time to work on The Path of Water, which makes me sad. However, I do still have quite a few more weeks left of pre-written chapters, so do not fret!

I've also seriously, obsessively gotten into Hetalia, if anyone else is a fan. If not, and you've never seen it, love strange humour and history, definitely check it out. I just posted a fanfiction riddled with meaningfulness, literary references and Hemmingway-esque dialogue as "The Darkest of Spots", a platonic Germany/Italy conversation, so please check that out. I blame the lack of smut on my literature degree.

Next time on The Path of Water: It's the ceremony and the wedding vows. Finally the moment Chihiro and Haku have been waiting for. Will it be perfect?

Please review!

~ **Arlia'Devi.**


	21. XXI: Vows

**The Path of Water**

By Arlia'Devi

Disclaimer: I do not own Spirited Away in any respect; all rights go to Hayao Miyazaki and associates. I make no money from this.

**The Path of Water**

**XXI: Vows  
**_Among men and women, those in love do not always announce themselves with declarations and vows. But they are the ones who weep when you're gone. Who miss you every single night, especially when the sky is so deep and beautiful, and the ground so very cold._  
~ **Alice Hoffman**  
**  
**

"I'm really doing this," Chihiro gasped, looking at herself in the mirror. Eventually, she'd been able to get into her wedding dress – it had taken a little bit of a adjustment here and there, but she'd managed it.

From behind her, Chase grinned.

"You look beautiful, Chihiro – come, it's almost two o'clock. Haku will be waiting at the altar very soon. We should get going."

The two women were dressed in their own gowns – Chase's was made of silk and a light blue hue. Rin was wearing a deep mahogany dress and, as always was more traditional. She was very conservative and had her hair running down her back sleek and straight and a stunning deep brown. With a shaky breath, Chihiro got to her feet and smoothed down the front of her dress as Chase straightened out the back.

"Well, I guess there's no going back now," she grinned as Rin went to open the door.

Chase took Chihiro's arm. "Come on, let's go get you married."

Taking the position of what would have been Chihiro's father, Chase helped Chihiro into the elevator, gathering up the rest of her train and holding in as they descended to the ground floor of the bathhouse. Still, the gardens where the ceremony was about to take place was still a long walk away and Chihiro was only grateful she had chosen to wear comfortable shoes that were not ridiculously high.

"Do you think he's standing at the end?" Chihiro asked Rin as Chase walked behind her, making sure not to get dirt on the train before the aisle.

"Definitely," replied Rin. "He's probably been standing there for an hour just waiting for you. You're so lucky."

Chihiro smiled and squeezed her friend's hand. The garden was coming into view now, around the pig stalls where her parents had been kept. There was a small cliff that dropped off to the bottom of the ocean, which was more often than not bone dry through the summer.

She tried looking for the ceremony, trying to get a glimpse of Haku and her wedding guests. She'd been cooped up in Chase's room while everything was going on beneath her. She didn't know if Zeniba had made it, or if someone unexpected had turned up. Her mind flashed to Raijin, and she looked at Rin but knew not to say anything. Those thoughts were not for today.

"We're almost there," Rin said gently. "If you want to dash and remain a free woman, you can."

Chihiro laughed. "And raise his half dragon child on my own? No thank you."

Chase chuckled from behind.

They came to paths that lead through the gardens, twisting and winding through shrubs and flowerbeds until one opened to a spacious sunning area on the edge of the cliff. It was a particular favourite spot to read and nap, Haku in his cold-blooded dragon form often dozed out in the sun and could be seen from the bathhouse doing so.

They had almost come to the cliff edge, Chihiro could hear the sound of music playing – a flute, perhaps, or a harp? Something light and melodious before Rin let go of Chihiro's arm and the three women stopped before entering the ceremony.

"Wait here," Rin smiled gently. "When the music begins to play, start walking out."

Chihiro's heart was beating against her chest and her stomach was churning horribly. She wanted to throw up, but for once it wasn't because of the baby.

"You can do this Chihiro," Chase said from behind. "If you run, you'll regret it forever. You love him."

"I know," Chihiro replied. "I wasn't going to run. I'm just nervous. Everyone is nervous on their wedding day."

Chase smiled. "When you see him waiting for you at the end of the isle, you won't be nervous anymore."

_Oh god_, Chihiro hoped she was right. She didn't know how much longer she could stand this feeling of sickness, like it was eating away at her from the insides.

And then the music began to play. It was great and loud like there was a band of instruments and set of wooden instruments began to play a traditional Japanese wedding song.

Chihiro staggered back in sudden shock, meeting Chase. She hadn't known the music was about to play so soon! Oh, she wasn't ready!

"Stop being stupid!" she hissed, turning the woman around. "Take and deep breath and get out there."

Doing as the bakeneko said, Chihiro took a deep, deep breath and then exhaled. As soon as she did that, she felt a lot better. What was she doing? Haku was the love of her life and the father of her child; she should have been tearing down the aisle to be by his side!

With a brave step forward, Chihiro began to walk.

She walked to the edge of the great hedge that separated her and the ceremony, knowing that as soon as she stepped into the entrance she was all anyone would be looking at. All she had to do was focus at the man at the end, who would be looking at her and smiling and who she would be able to spend the rest of her days with.

Chihiro got to the edge of the hedge and stepped turned towards the ceremony, her breath caught in her throat. Thirty people had turned to watch Chihiro enter, all standing in their chair rows silently as the music played. Her eyes flittered over them all, trying to register who was here but her brain was moving too quickly. She saw the trail of white cotton that lead between the rows of chairs to a great white steel arch with tendrils of creeping yellow roses hanging from it. Underneath the arch, not quite as tall as it, was Haku.

Chihiro took a step forward, her eyes moving from Haku to the ground to watch where she stepped. Once her footing was correct, she looked up again.

And straight into the eyes of her father.

He was wearing a dark tuxedo. As soon as Chihiro recognised the man, she let out a sob and embraced him, the crowd of family and friends laughing in good nature as she did so. At the end of the aisle, Haku smiled, chuckling gently.

"Don't cry my dear, you'll ruin your makeup," Aiko murmured affectionately, peeling Chihiro off his body and letting her stand. He offered his arm to her and she took it eagerly.

"How?" Chihiro sobbed, catching sight of her mother at the end of the aisle, in the first few seats who was also crying.

"You can thank your new husband for that," Aiko smiled as they straightened up. Zeniba offered Chihiro a handkerchief in the crowd as she walked past and Chihiro dabbed at her eyes, laughing at the spectacle she'd made. "We can talk later. I only want to see my beautiful daughter get married."

They came to the end of the aisle and Haku stepped forward to greet them, a crooked grin on his face as Chihiro laughed and cried at the same time.

"On this day," said Aiko, looking to Haku. "I give you my only daughter in trust that you will cherish her," he gave Haku Chihiro's hand, placing it gently into the young man's palm. "Do right by her and make her happy until death does you part."

Haku encircled Chihiro's hand and helped her up the small step to the ceremony platform.

"Thank you, Aiko," Haku acknowledged with a deep bow as Aiko turned to sit with his weeping wife.

Chihiro gave her parents a smile and then looked to Haku and almost burst out crying then again, just looking at the happy look on his handsome face. The crowd laughed again as Chihiro turned away and hid her face in a handkerchief.

"Why do you have to make me love you so much," she laughed gently, composing herself. "You go and do that and it makes me feel amazing."

"You deserve to feel amazing," he said, stepping in close. "And you look beautiful, Chihiro."

She smiled. She had never seen him happier, except perhaps when she'd announced her pregnancy.

"All right," she sighed, looking to the celebrant. "Let's get married."

The celebrant was a spirit she'd never met before, a woman and she was very beautiful, evidently a spirit as she had a greenish tinge to her skin. Chihiro wondered if she had ever officiated a wedding ceremony. She supposed not. The spirit had a small book, which she opened and began to read.

"We are here to witness the union between two soul mates, Chihiro Ogino of the Human World and Lord Haku Nigihayami Nushi, God of the Kohaku River and the reigning Lord of the Eastern Lands, as they pledge a lifelong commitment to each other," spoke the celebrant.

Chihiro smiled and gave Haku a quizzical look at the updated vows. He smiled back and took her hands, stepping in closer.

"My lord?" the celebrant looked to Haku, who cleared his throat.

"In front of these witnesses, I pledge to you, Chihiro Ogino, the love of my life and soul mate, my eternal devotion and support and vow to be at your side until death does us part," he smiled, though he was speaking very seriously, before bringing his hand up to caress Chihiro's cheek. "I love you more than I ever thought possible. Be mine on this day and I promise to cherish you forever."

"Kohaku Nigihayami Nushi, do you take Chihiro Ogino, of The Human World as your wife?"

He nodded with a smile. "Of course I do."

"Chihiro Ogino, do you take Kohaku Nigihayami Nushi, God of the Kohaku River and Lord of the Eastern Lands as your husband?"

"I do," Chihiro smiled.

There were murmurings in the crowd and the celebrant smiled. "Then, I now pronounce you husband and wife. My Lord, you may kiss your bride and seal your commitment."

Chihiro shrugged at the odd wording on the last sentence but didn't have much time to think it over as Haku pulled her in for a passionate yet tender kiss. She kissed him three times, in tender butterfly kisses that sparked up a fire for the night to come. When he pulled away, she looked into his eyes and knew happiness.

"We're married," he laughed gently and took her hand. The guests began to clap and when Chihiro had turned around they were all standing up. Her first port of call was to run down and embrace her mother, who was weeping openly now.

"Oh Chihir-ro-o-o," her mother cried. "You looked so beautiful, darling. You make me so happy."

"Thank you Mama," Chihiro cried into her mother's shoulder. Haku went down to join the small family he'd joined.

Aiko took his hand and have it a strong shake. "Welcome to the family, son."

Haku smiled. "Thank you, Aiko," he said, utterly humbled at the man's acceptance. "I am so happy. I promise to look after your daughter. She's my world."

"I know you will," Aiko said with a tight smile. He squeezed Haku's hand before letting it go. "I know you will."

Chihiro had stopped hugging her mother and had her handkerchief pressed against her eyes.

"How did you know?" she babbled to her mother. "How long can you stay?"

Hotaru, Chase and Aeala approached the family then, with Aeala hitched up on Hotaru's chest. He was greeted warmly by the new husband.

"Thank you again, friend," Haku said to Hotaru, placing a hand on his shoulder. Aeala squealed when she saw Haku and held her arms out and dug her feet into her father's side, trying to launch herself into the dragon's arms. Haku took the toddler eagerly, spinning her around in the air.

"Haku sent us a letter a few days ago," Yuuko replied. "Then this young gentleman came through and picked us up two hours ago. We can stay until tonight."

Chihiro smiled and looked to Chase who hugged her.

The next half an hour was a mirage of people embracing Chihiro and saying their congratulations. She longed for a moment when she could talk to her parents privately, but none came. She knew they were scheduled to leave for the river around sunset, and they were heading into one of the entertaining halls for food and music and celebration.

"Mama," she touched her mother's shoulder and she turned around. Chihiro bit her lip. "I need to talk to you. In private."

"Oh all right," Yuuko said and put down her napkin. Haku caught her eye from across the table and rose, ushering Aiko to join him as they left the party inconspicuously to a side hallway and then into a vacant guest room. Chihiro offered her parents a seat on the lounge as Haku came to stand next to her.

"Is this something serious?" Aiko asked when he registered the situation. "Is something bad happening?"

"No," Chihiro shook her head. Haku looked at her and sighed, then he looked to his new parents.

"Chihiro is pregnant," Haku said, cutting to the chase.

"I wanted to tell you as soon as I knew, but I just couldn't – not through a letter," Chihiro cried. "I hope you understand."

"Oh my god!" Yuuko gushed, getting up to hug her daughter. "That is so amazing, Chihiro, oh this is such a happy day! Congratulations, both of you."

Aiko smiled but hung back until his wife calmed down. Like always, Aiko was the voice-of-reason in a situation.

"Was it planned?" he asked.

Chihiro shrugged and struggled to answer. Haku did for her.

"No, it was not planned. It is why we had the wedding earlier, but I have wanted children for a long time now."

"Chihiro?" Aiko looked to his daughter.

"Dad I know it's not the ideal situation but we're so happy. We're going to have a family of our own and yes, our child will probably grow up in the spirit world but we'll definitely come to visit you."

"Oh Aiko," Yuuko tutted. "Not everything goes to plan. They are taking responsibility. They are both adults – and legally married!"

"Well, not legally," Aiko reminded subtly. "They didn't sign a certificate."

"Well, I think it's fantastic," Yuuko smiled to the two of them. "And I'm so glad you didn't write a letter and waited. How far along are you, Chihiro?"

"Twelve weeks."

"First trimester already?!" she gasped. "I thought you'd just found out, but oh my!"

Haku grinned. "It's not very big yet." His hand rubbed Chihiro's stomach.

"Have you been sick? I was terribly sick when I was pregnant with you," Yuuko asked. Haku, knowing this was precious time Chihiro needed with her mother, conversed with Aiko. Eventually the two went back to the party and Yuuko and Chihiro stayed to talk.

"The morning sickness is starting to wear off. It got pretty bad, I mean it's not pleasant and some days are worse than others."

"They always are," said Yuuko sympathetically. "Ginger helps, so does tea."

"I get tired a lot," Chihiro sighed. "I don't have to be doing much and by the afternoon I'm exhausted. I think that also might be because I'm carrying a baby that's half a dragon spirit."

Yuuko nodded. "I wonder how that would work… How does it work?"

Chihiro shrugged little. "Dragons hatch from eggs. I have eggs; I suppose the shell just doesn't develop. But Mum, I need some help. Can you get me some pregnancy books? Spirits do things a little differently here. I'd really appreciate some human tips on going through it all."

Yuuko nodded. "I think I still have some, but I could definitely pick some up. I'd have to go to the next town over."

"Thank you, Mum. I'd really appreciate it." Her mother squeezed her hand tenderly.

"So," Yuuko asked gamely. "Have you and Haku spoken about this? I mean, there are some questions you want to consider."

"Like what?" Chihiro asked.

"Where will the baby sleep? It can't sleep in a cot for many months after it's born, will you have the bassinette in your room or in the baby's room?" Yuuko expanded. "What will you name the baby - I mean, you don't want to have the baby in your arms and still be arguing over a name? Do you want to find out the gender by around twenty weeks? How many children are you looking at having and how far apart? I mean now that you're having a family you want to start planning your next child, unless you're looking at only having one."

Chihiro groaned. Her mother was right. There were so many questions that needed to be answered, but at least, she thought, they weren't political questions.

"How many children did you want to have, Mum?"

Yuuko sighed. "I'm not too sure. I would have liked another one but I had fertility problems, I found that out after having you and your father was going from job-to-job with the automotive business. I guess by the time we were looking at having another child you were already eight or nine and we just didn't want that big of a gap between our kids. Besides, we got used to just having you."

Chihiro nodded and considered this carefully, "I don't know how many we want. Maybe this is just a fluke…"

Yuuko put a hand on her daughter's shoulder. "Count your blessings, Chihiro," she smiled. "You're going on a honeymoon for a few days. That will be nice. Maybe you and your new husband can sit down and have a talk between the whole... you _know_." She gave a poignant look.

"I think we definitely will," Chihiro admitted. Yuuko rose and took her daughter's hands, tugging her back towards the party. Chihiro laughed and followed her mother back into the grand room where everyone was dancing. People were feasting and dancing and having a great time and her husband was at her side suddenly, taking her out onto the dance floor where the band slowed to a smooth string lullaby.

She pressed her body against her husbands. He was warm and moved smoothly across the dance floor. His breath was warm against her ear and for a moment, she cherished the moment she was against him and the silence for the moment, just the strings echoing in her ear.

"I love you," his voice whispered as they swayed. Chihiro grinned.

"I love you back," she replied. "Tell me what's going to happen tonight."

She felt Haku's body vibrate in a short laugh. "You'll find out soon enough." His tone was low and sensual, almost promising.

"Will I like it?" Chihiro coulnd't help it. She was a prodder.

"I don't know about you," he replied wickedly. "But I certainly will."

"You're being very secretive, dragon," she whispered in his clothes. "Very cunning."

He turned their bodies and they swayed in a different position. From this angle, Chihiro saw her parents speaking with Chase. They seemed happy and Aeala was with her father, eating solid food at the table.

"When do we need to leave?" Chihiro almost whined.

"Your parents will leave by midnight," Haku replied. "We will need to leave before then. When is up to your discretion. I do not mind."

"But our honeymoon?" she asked. "Are we flying?"

"Low and smooth," he assured. "Sorry, I know it may be uncomfortable but-,"

"It's fine," Chihiro smiled. "I actually miss flying. I haven't since I went to Zeniba's and I know how it can cause problems, but I'm not that big and you promise to be smooth. You wouldn't let me fly if you thought it may bring harm to the baby."

"Of course," he replied, though Chihiro can tell that his mind is on other things this afternoon – things that will happen tonight. "I would never do such a thing." He sighed against her then and Chihiro can tell he is truly happy, even if he is currently preoccupied with tonight's doings. "I love you more than life itself, Chihiro."

She smiled against his collar. "I know. I feel the same way," she replied and he pulled her a little closer, his hands low on her back. It felt right and beautiful.

The rest of the day passed with pleasure. Chihiro spoke with her parents, dancing with her father while Haku danced with his new mother-in-law. They exchanged meaningful looks as they moved around the dancefloor between one another.

Chihiro's father smiled at his daughter and over the music, she was able to make out when he asked,

"Do you know the gender of the baby?"

Chihiro laughed and shook her head 'no'. "It's too early yet, Dad, give me another ten weeks and I may know."

Aiko gave his daughter a smile. "You look so beautiful today. I am so glad you're happy, Chihiro."

"Thank you, Dad. It means a lot to me, and I know it means a lot to Haku."

Aiko gave his daughter a sheepish look and smiled. "I know how much it means to him. What he did for us, letting us see you on this special day – it's more than we could ever hope for and more than we asked of him. We understand you now have duties here, Chihiro, both you and him and though we appreciate it," he smiled and touched her cheek gently. "I have waited all my life to take my daughter down the aisle. I'm only glad it was a man I approved of and not some bone-headed fool."

Chihiro laugh. "Bone-headed fool?" she chuckled.

"When you have your child, you will know," Aiko replied wisely. "You and Haku will find out a lot, I suspect, about yourselves and being parents. A lot of it you won't like."

Chihiro laughed. "You and Mama got through it."

"My black hairs turned grey when you were a child," Aiko replied. "When you announced you were living in some far away land and your husband was a dragon, I have to admit, my greys turned white."

Haku caught this conversation as he spun around with Yuuko. He lingered by Chihiro's side for the moment and grinned at her.

"I don't know," he said. "I think I may look quite distinguished with grey hair, don't you think, Chihiro."

Chihiro laughed. Aiko scowled playfully and steered Chihiro away. "You get her for the rest of your life, Haku – can't I have a moment with my daughter?"

The party continued gaily.

* * *

Thank you to the people who reviewed the last chapter. They were:

**LaShay112, Heartz4Jesus, herro, Nerocchi, RubyDemonXoXo, michelle88222, LeeshyLoo, Sokka2Me, BlackMoonStar10, WhisperToTheWolves, Watermelon23, ulquihime7980, CherriDoll, DemonChild94** and **MewMewCloud.**

In other news, please remember to head over to my profile and vote for the gender of the baby on the poll! At the moment 'boy' is in first place for the preference.

So the wedding went off without a hitch, perhaps it was as perfect as Chihiro wanted it to be. But I can assure you, things don't stay peaceful forever.

Next time on the Path of Water: Haku takes Chihiro as his mate, in a ceremony that binds them together in Dragon Lore. But what exactly does he have in mind?

Please remember to leave a quick **review**!

~** Arlia'Devi.**


	22. XXII: The Dragon's Den

**The Path of Water**

By Arlia'Devi

Disclaimer: I do not own Spirited Away in any respect; all rights go to Hayao Miyazaki and associates. I make no money from this.

A/N: it may be obvious, but this chapter does have a lemon in it. It's a little more hard-core than some of the other lemons I've written previously in this story so if lemons aren't your thing – skip over it.

**The Path of Water**

**XXII: The Dragon's Den**

The night was cool and crisp when Chihiro and Haku, now bound in wedding bliss, walked along the grasses near Midnight Town. True to the town's word it was bustling gathering of merchants and visitors and is an impressive sight for Aiko and Yuuko, who walked back to the old train station with Hotaru.

In a departing moment, Yuuko held her daughter close, squeezing her shoulders.

"Look after yourself, Chihiro," she whispered gently in her ear. "You have to be more careful now you're going to have a baby. Make sure you keep hydrated and sleep enough. I'll get you those books as soon as possible."

"Thanks Mama," she replied, squeezing the woman back. "I really appreciate it."

Haku and Aiko were sharing small words not too far away when Hotaru stepped forward to take them back. Chihiro embraced her father again and thanked him for coming. He told her to look after herself, that children were a blessed gift some people did not get to experience.

"I hope all goes well for you, Chihiro," he said, a smile on his face. "I want to meet my new grandchild by July next year. Even sooner if possible."

Chihiro smiled and touched her stomach. "We'll keep in contact, Dad."

"Weekly updates," Yuuko said poignantly. Chihiro laughed.

"Take care, darlings," Yuuko smiled in parting before she, Aiko and Hotaru left the party at the bathhouse and walked towards the ferry that would carry them over the river. Its lights shone against the black water and with a sigh, Haku pulled Chihiro close to his body, watching his new family board the vessel.

"I love you, Haku," she said honestly, looking up to him. "What you did – I had no idea but I am so, so grateful that you did." She stretched up on her toes and kissed his neck, tip-toing to his front. "You mean the world to me, and I want to-… I mean, I want _you_."

He grunted a little before reaching down to kiss Chihiro delicately on the lips. "I'm burning for you, Chihiro," he said against her lips. His voice was hoarse.

She smiled against his lips. "Then what are we still doing here? I want to be yours. Finally. Completely."

He grinned, kissing her once more before letting go. Chihiro stepped back, awaiting his transformation. There was a small flash of light before the giant serpentine dragon appeared at her feet. Steadying himself, Haku lowered his stomach to the ground, making it easier for her to climb on his back. Gathering up her skirts, Chihiro cast a look back to the bathhouse wondering if it was wrong they had not said goodbye to their guests yet. Haku grunted a little impatiently and wiggled his body and Chihiro thought to hell with it with the guests – it was time to get away.

* * *

The flight was long and smooth. The night air was cool and Chihiro's dress flew behind them, flapping a little so she hitched it between her legs. When the mountains came into view, Haku sped up a little and Chihiro braced herself for a slightly bumpy landing. She saw a dark line, like a snake, winding through the mountain side and knew it was his river.

Haku dipped down gently and circled a small cavern before coming to rest out in a field of wild grass and flowers. The ground was moist and soft so Chihiro took off her shoes, lest the heels get ruined. She felt the cool mud between her toes. Chihiro hummed contently when Haku turned her around and kissed her. The mountain smelt fresh and wild and wet, like it had just rained and Haku's lips were warm and coaxing. How she'd missed him.

"Haku," Chihiro murmured, melting into his arms. "Tell me… what's going to happen tonight, please?"

He growled back with a small chuckle and broke away. "Come," he said gently and tugged her arm, leading her through the darkness. Chihiro followed him tentatively through the night and then into a small cavern where the sound of water was amplified. It smelt of moss and the air was damp, and she knew they were near the river.

Haku rounded a bend then and they came to the river-side house, etched into the side of the cavern. The water trickling through the cavern was a tranquil sound and the lake seemed bottomless in the dark night, only the fluorescent markings of the giant fish that inhabited the large pond reflecting upon the walls. She looked to her to-be-mate and her husband. His face was dark and expressionless.

"Tell me," she pleaded gently. "I know it's something secretive, but…" she gushed to him, leaning forward to kiss his neck. "Please, just let me know, Haku. I'm scared, and I don't know what to expect."

He looked down at her and smiled gently. She searched his eyes for something he wasn't saying – anything that would give him away, but there was nothing there. He had a great poker face when he wanted to, and in true Haku fashion was giving away nothing.

"You trust me," he whispered. "I would never put you or our child in danger. Just go with me on this."

"Haku, I just can't-," she tried to protest.

"Just let yourself go with me, Chihiro," he murmured against her jawline. His fingers were already untying the silk ribbons that held together the corset. When that fell loose, he trailed his hands back up to cup her jaw, kissing her lips gently. They were at the edge of the river – Chihiro felt the cool, wet pebbles at her feet. He wanted her to go with him, to let go but she couldn't. She was too tensed about the unknown. He knew it agitated her when she did not know what to expect, she knew he knew it and she knew it was working for him.

Haku kissed her passionately, one hand reaching up to cup her breast through her loosening corset. He gently brushed a finger over her nipple and swallowed her needy moan with a grin. She may have been nervous but she smelt delicious. The scent she was emitting, of his mate carrying his child, it was almost too much. He knew the biological ties he now shared with Chihiro through the baby they had created was making this experience more intense. More intense than it normally would have been, but he was glad for it. She was clinging to him, also, seemingly lost in a haze of passion. Haku grinned. She was like an animal. She had let herself go.

Chihiro gasped as she felt the cool water of the lakeshore on her feet. The sand was soft and Haku's fingers were working skilfully at the silk laces to the bodice of her wedding dress. It fell apart easily and loosened, so Haku tugged it down a little, revealing a beautiful white lace bra and matching panties. Chihiro moaned and pressed herself to his body.

"I need you," she whimpered.

"You will have me," Haku replied against her lips, biting down on them gently. He kissed to her earlobe and nibbled it gently before whispering hotly. "And I will have you."

Her hands moved to the clasps of his jacket and she quickly striped it from him. She panted, panted for him and she wanted to make love right here, on the banks of the lake under the moonlight that was streaming in from the open cabin. Chihiro was kissing down his throat when she noticed the moon had crept into the opening of the cavern – it was full and large and bright. It was hypnotising and Chihiro stared at it as she stripped her husband of his clothes and kisses down his collarbone. His hands were not idle. He pulled at her, pressing her flesh against his body and ground his hips against hers, wringing a loud whimper from her. He bit the skin behind the shell of her ear and relished the startled cry. Oh, but the moon was hypnotising.

She didn't know how much longer she could stand this for – she was so primed and she wanted him so badly.

"Haku, please," she begged, looking into his eyes. They glimmered with dark desires. "Don't make me wait any more."

He grinned at her. "My darling," he murmured, kissing her gently. "Do not be impatient."

She smiled and Haku noticed the moon reflecting in her great brown eyes.

"It's so beautiful tonight," she smiled at him and giggled. Her hand touched her husband's cheek. "_You_ look so beautiful tonight. I feel so strange, Haku."

He kissed her. "But do you feel scared?"

She shook her head. "No. Never. Not with you. I want you."

He smiled against her lips. Slowly, they fell to the soft sand below them. Chihiro felt the lake water on her feet and toes. Haku's eyes were smouldering with dragon fire and beyond that, over his shoulder and above them was the moon peeking through the rock face as if a strange celestial onlooker.

Haku's hand ghosted over the small swell in Chihiro's stomach, ran a small caress around her navel before dipping lower, skimming the beautiful lace panties. She knew he loved it when he dressed up for her, though sometimes the lingerie did not get a second glance in his hastiness. A finger touched her ready centre and Chihiro groaned, throwing her head back against the sand.

Slowly, he touched her in small deliberate circles while kissing her collarbone, neck and chest. When he drew his hand away in favour of unfastening her bra, Chihiro whimpered at the loss of contact and squirmed awkwardly.

"Be patient," he urged, kissing the strip of white flesh between her breasts. "You're not being patient at all."

It's so hard to be patient. She had never had to wait for him. He had never made her wait before and she didn't know how much longer she could hold out for. She wanted him so badly.

Haku unfastened the rest of his clothes in haste, eager to feel his beloved's skin against his once again. Chihiro watched with a small smile on her face as her husband stripped before she hooked her panties over her thumbs and shimmed the garment off her body before tossing it away. Awaiting her husband's company, Chihiro smiled and extended her arms and Haku had no qualms in coming down to fill them.

His lips travelled down her body, hot, open-mouthed and incessant. When they came to rest on her navel, Chihiro squirmed and mewled in anticipation. He kissed her stomach and felt the small being resting silently inside – his child, his son or daughter, an infant he was drawn to and must protect with his life. Haku grinned and caressed her thighs as they parted to him. When he attached himself to the apex of her thighs, Chihiro cried out in blissful agony at the overwhelming feelings. It didn't take long for her to unravel, splitting at the seams and screaming her release to anyone who was close enough to goddamn hear it. Coming down, she barely heard Haku speaking to her – his voice was deep and hoarse and needy. His hands were at her hair, pushing her hair from her face and Chihiro tried to focus her eyes as he looked at her.

"You will feel strange, dearest," he said seriously. "You remember when you first came to my river, do you remember those feelings?"

She nodded vaguely, but she knew the feelings he was speaking of – being completely over taken and feeling utterly overwhelmed. Ugh. She wanted it. So badly. She wanted to be consumed.

"That is how you will feel now," he warned gently. "But I am here. You will let yourself go, you will not fight it, and I will be here with you for all times."

She shook her head and saw her hand move up to touch Haku's cheek. She felt numb and her hand looked foreign, but she felt so amazing. The only feeling was the pleasure coursing through her, throbbing from her centre. She was over sensitised to the point she felt numb, except for that small spot of unprecedented pleasure. Somehow, somewhere, Chihiro knew this was the point of the mating ceremony – she had been told it was an insanely pleasurable experience. She wondered if it got any better. She had to find out.

"I love you," she whispered though as soon as she said it, her voice sounded foreign to her own ears. "Please, Haku… I – I want this. So much."

"You look amazing to me right now," he said honestly. "Like an angel. You're radiant."

Haku grinned above her, tracing the skin of Chihiro's thighs with just his fingertips and listened to how she whimpered against him. He was painfully hard and when he came into contact with Chihiro, his head rolled back and he groaned, filling her to the hilt in one swift thrust. The sensation of her nails on his back like little pin-pricks on his skin drove him wild and she cried out into the night air.

His pace was quick and rough. He had no need to be gentle – not tonight. He knew, truly, he could not cause her harm. The moon was above them and Chihiro's cries and whimpers and throaty moans filled his ears.

Chihiro felt numb all over – the feelings he was bringing her swamped everything else completely. She felt high, hallucinogenic and as light as a feather, but her abdomen felt heavy and the movements he was doing inside her – oh god, she could actually _feel_ him, more than ever before. She could feel him against her walls, feel him rub her and touch her deep inside and it was all too much but she just couldn't come. Her body was too high and this pleasure was too great. She wondered if she was simply coming and coming and coming without a low, and if she was, Chihiro realised, she didn't want to stop. This feeling was insane, and her dragon was beautiful. She needed him like she needed to breathe.

"Mine," she whispered, grasping his jawline so she could look into those beautiful emerald eyes. "You are mine, Haku."

Haku snarled and took Chihiro's throat in his hands, pushing her head against the soft sand. His grip was tight but not uncomfortable and Chihiro smirked.

"Mine," he repeated, penetrating her in punctuated thrusts that made her gasp and jerk. "Mine," he said with a snarl. "Mine. Mine. Mine."

Chihiro cried out and arched her back, screwing her eyes shut. She couldn't take this much longer – she was going to black out, or go insane or something. Something was going to burst inside her and she knew she couldn't take it.

"Haku… please," she panted.

Haku threw his head back, the hand that was on Chihiro's collarbone moved down to her thigh to hitch it over his hip. Chihiro cried out, rolling her hips as her lover shifted his position. She cried out. Her legs were trembling. Her back arched into his touch. She felt Haku slow down and move erratically and began to worry – no that couldn't be it! He couldn't be finished already. She was desperate and writhing and hot.

She peeked a glance up to her husband. His face was contorted a little and he took a sharp breath in, as if he was trying to regain composure. After a second more, his hips snapped forward again and he began to move erratically, hitting that sweet spot deep inside. Chihiro groaned and lulled her head back.

The shakes came again – the teeth-rattling tremours of a desperate, hard orgasm built up. She cried out and thrashed, her hand coming to push over her face, like she just couldn't stand this anymore. This wasn't their delicate love-making, in his sensitive touches, this was raw and unfiltered.

"Let me see your face," he growled, wrenching Chihiro's hand off her face and entwining it with his in the sand. He leant over her. His emerald eyes were black with lust and desire.

"Haku," she breathed, "I-."

The new angle hit that sweet spot deep inside and Chihiro cried out, grasping her husband close, wrapping her hands into his soft hair and holding on for dear life. She swore. She swore to him to do it harder, faster, and when it finally hit her – when she finally fell over that peak and tumbled into bliss, she let out a strangled mix of sound between a groan and a scream.

Chihiro panted as she came down. Her body felt spent. She was exhausted and she looked to her husband. His eyes still swirled with want and he was still inside her, his pace slowed down considerably. Chihiro sighed shakily and touched Haku's cheek. They were not over tonight. The moon was still apparent above them, as if suspended within time and space. There was still a long way to go.

* * *

Chihiro awoke slowly, coming out of what was feeling like a thousand-year coma. Her head was heavy and her whole body was exhausted. When her eyes finally adjusted she recognised the room as Haku's master bedroom in his small home at the river. She groaned and rolled over, feeling her body ache, to see Haku sleeping on his back, snoring softly.

She rolled to him, tracing her finger on the smooth, hairless skin of his chest. He felt sticky and she realised they probably even smelt a little. She didn't remember how they got to bed – she didn't remember falling asleep, all she remembered was round after round of mind-blowing sex. Haku must have taken her up here and put them both to bed. The dragon was beginning to stir.

Haku groaned as he awoke, shifting to try to alleviate his aching back.

"Mmm…," he moaned. "Chihiro?"

"Good morning," she smiled gently, resting her head on her mate and husband's chest and kissed his jawline. She felt strange, like she was being drawn to him, but it was beautiful and lovely and made Chihiro feel warm all over.

"Are you harmed, love?" Haku asked, sitting up to look down on her.

Chihiro shook her head. "A little sore, but I'm fine." Then she laughed softly. "Do you remember what happened last night? I do up to a certain point, and then it is coming back in small flashes. It feels like I drank too much and then a little bit more." Haku laughed and Chihiro smiled. "I feel wonderful, though."

"I expected the sore muscles," he admited gently. "But asked if you were hurt? As with I... I don't remember moments from last night - I...,"

Chihiro touched her husband's cheek. He was so careful almost all the time, and now he was worried he may have stepped over the mark. "I'm fine."

"I am glad," he replied. "We are finally one." He intertwined his hand through hers. "Nothing will break the bond between us – it's forever."

Chihiro smiled and kissed Haku. "I love you."

He smiled and nuzzled her nose. "Are you hungry?" Chihiro shook her head. "I want to go for a swim – get clean. I want you to join me?"

"I don't know if I can swim," she laughed quietly. "I'm too sore. I might just stay here for a while." She shifted and groaned inwardly when muscles she obviously had not used for a long time, protested. "I am hungry, though."

"Come down to the water. It will do you good," he said, helping his new wife out of bed.

Haku smiled and rolled out of bed, stumbling to his feet. He didn't bother to don his clothes, only he went around taking Chihiro's hand and helping her to her feet.

They made their way down to the lakeside and Chihiro found their clothes – her dress and his wedding suit, folded on the lounge near the fireplace. The water was crystal clear and the great fish that swam around the lake dived deeper as Haku stepped in the water. He kneaded Chihiro's hands in his soothingly as she stepped into deeper water.

"You are the most beautiful thing I've ever seen," he murmured as Chihiro stepped into the cool water, letting it touch her stomach that was protruding considerably when she stood naked. His hand rubbed it gently and he carefully reached inside, his magic tickling the being that rested quietly, ensuring it was safe and sound.

Chihiro laughed and dunked her head underwater, washing out her hair. Haku floated on his back, swimming out deeper before duck-diving down and coming back up in the shallows where Chihiro sat. Her stomach rumbled loudly and she laughed.

"Sorry, guess I was hungrier than I thought."

"I'll get breakfast," he replied.

She was about to tell him 'no', but Haku swam off again only to return soon with a large fruit in his hands. It was dragon-fruit and Haku ripped it open to reveal its raw flesh before biting into it. Chihiro took the other half and ate. It tasted sweet and fleshy but it wasn't very filling.

He sat back in the shallow water and Chihiro rested against him, feeling the water lap against her body.

"I spoke with Mama yesterday," she sighed. "About the baby and everything that comes with it. Can we talk about this now? Is your brain ready to think?"

Haku laughed. "I'm a little bit drowsy at the moment, but I think I can manage it."

"All right," Chihiro sighed. Haku's wrapped around her waist, his thumb brushing her navel. "Well, do we want to know the sex of the baby – or do we wait until I give birth as a surprise. Our pregnancy is a little unorthodox in my culture. We usually find out the sex of the baby around 20 weeks, but you'll probably be able to tell earlier than that. What do you want to do about that?"

Haku shrugged a little. "I don't mind."

"Haku – tell me what you want to do."

"Tell me what _you_ want to do," he said. "I don't have to find out the gender of the baby. It does not worry me what it is – as long as it's healthy and I get it in my arms and you by my side."

Chihiro sighed. "I want to wait," she answered eventually.

"Then we'll wait."

"We can look at some names for both genders and pick our favourites," she smiled and looked up to him. "That will be fun."

"That will be fun," he smiled. "I have a couple of names… maybe, I don't really know."

"It's all right. We have a lot of time. I just wanted us to make some decisions."

"Any more?" he asked.

"How many children do you want to have?"

"Enough so that I have to strain to remember their names."

Chihiro laughed, though there was a twinge of mortification to her voice. "Really?" she said eventually, as if scared to know the answer.

Haku laughed and kissed Chihiro's head. "We'll see, darling. I am being honest – I would like a few children, but if we are only blessed with one child I will be content."

"My mother had trouble getting pregnant, she was telling me."

"We have not come across that problem," he replied. "If anything your body was more than eager."

Chihiro sighed and laid back in Haku's arms.

"I announced the pregnancy to the people of the parliament," Haku said. Chihiro stiffened in his arms. "I know it sounds cowardly, but I thought if we announced it and made ourselves scares, it might settle in better." He sighed. "I'm sorry if you don't think the same way."

Chihiro shook her head. "I have told everyone I wanted to tell. You didn't step on my toes." She laughed and kissed him. "What shall we do today, lover?"

He smiled at her. "Whatever we want."

* * *

PHEW!

Thanks to all those people who reviewed the last chapter. They were…

**WhatsHerName, , Sokka2Me, Gearhead Fenton, Loxxi, CherriDoll, RubyDemonXoXo, Watermelon23, DragonofYang, michelle88222, WhiteTiger246, DemonChild94, Colorblue, LeeshyLoo, DiamondInMyHeart, BlackMoonStar10,** and **LaShay112.**

Thank you!

I must apologise for the break in updates. It's the end of semester, and I wanted to find the time to do this chapter right. I haven't found much time for writing lately, and I'm running low on pre-written TPOW chapters. Winter semester holidays is here, and I hope to write a lot more & work on my novel, so expect a little more.

I spent quite a bit of time trying to get this chapter right, and really wanted to stay away from the biting/blood bond cliché that I secretly hate (not so secret anymore).

Nevertheless, it's still Sunday somewhere ;) – probably not.

Next time on _The Path of Water_: It's the honeymoon, but will the time away be relaxing? Chihiro finds out that even on the honeymoon there are still kinks to work out.

I hope you enjoyed this belated chapter. Please take the moment to leave a quick review before you go! See you next week.

~ **Arlia'Devi**


	23. XXIII: Sunny Days

**The Path of Water**

By Arlia'Devi

Disclaimer: I do not own Spirited Away in any respect; all rights go to Hayao Miyazaki and associates. I make no money from this.

**The Path of Water**

**XXIII: Sunny Days**

A day passed leisurely and Haku found himself waking up mid-morning to the skin of Chihiro's back. Yesterday they'd eaten, swam and just been together all day – clothes were optional. There was something thrilling about being at the river. Something exhilarating and unrestrictive. He felt free and relaxed, and he had not felt such a way in a long time.

Chihiro was still sleeping when Haku left the bed to gather breakfast. He picked an assortment of fruits from the fruit trees that grew around the base of the mountains. When he came back to the house, Chihiro was already awake and drinking juice by the dining table, reading a book she'd picked up from the shelf. When Haku entered, she smiled.

"Good morning," she said, gulping down the remainder of her juice.

"Morning. Did you sleep well?"

Chihiro nodded. "You've been busy?"

Haku smiled and placed the fruit on the counter before beginning to peel them. "I cannot have you going hungry now, can I?" he asked as he cut a few fruit into quarters and placed them on a plate. He tried to mentally map out their meals for the next few days – after lunch they could have fish and then he'd travel to a township nearby if Chihiro wanted an afternoon nap to get an oxen cut or something wholesome for dinner. It was hard when he had been waited on all his life and food being ready at his request. Perhaps tomorrow they may go out for dinner. He would search for some nice restaurants when he headed into the townships around.

Haku sat down at the table, biting into a piece of fruit.

"This fruit is really delicious," Chihiro said. "It's nice to have such a light breakfast. It doesn't make me feel sick." She leant across and kissed her husband.

"What do you want to do today?" he asked. Chihiro gave a little shrug.

"Maybe I'll go for a swim this afternoon – can we go to the hot springs before we leave?"

Haku nodded. "Of course we can. I had something planned this afternoon, though."

"Like what?"

"Shinji said he resided in the Northern Mountains and I-,"

"No," Chihiro said firmly. "We agreed. No business on our honeymoon, Haku – you promised!"

"But Chihiro," Haku pleaded. "It will only take a moment – we're in the Northern Mountains, so I should take advantage of the situation."

Chihiro shook her head. "No. If I wanted to talk about issues, I would have stayed at the Palace. I don't mind if you wanted to do some river work, but Haku," she pouted. "Come on, this is our honeymoon. You have forever to do that – we only get one honeymoon and when was the last time we came here?"

Haku sighed and decreed. "Alright, well, I have somewhere we can both go together. Go and get dressed."

"Yes sir," Chihiro huffed and left to get dressed.

Fifteen minutes later she descended in a pair of loose pants and a casual t-shirt. She was wearing a pair of sandals and looked comfortable and cool. She approached Haku, who was wearing simple clothes and took his hand.

"Ready?" she asked and he nodded. "Where are we going?"

"Up the mountain?"

"Yes," she gushed with a smile. "Oh, I want to go to the diamond cavern again."

"There are other places around," he protested weakly, but he'd already made up his mind on the issue. They we're going back to the diamond cavern.

The walk was a long one, and it was uphill. It was a good thing Chihiro was a reasonably fit and athletic woman, because it was a bit of an ordeal to walk all the way up there. He normally didn't visit the cave – on occasion, once to harvest the diamond for Chihiro's ring, then to propose for her and the odd times before.

The room was still as beautiful as she remembered it to be. From floor to ceiling it was covered in diamonds. It would have had to be one of the most beautiful things she'd seen in her life, _ever_.

She smiled at Haku as he approached her, pulling him into her arms and kissing him deeply. He looked so beautiful when the light shone on him, retracted by thousands of diamonds. Small rainbows filled the room, reflecting on the floor and walls, and above them. Chihiro whimpered and kissed down his throat, trying to tug her new husband closer and then down.

"Haku," she whimpered when he didn't budge. "Don't make me do all the work."

Haku grinned and pulled Chihiro against him. "Why would I do that?" he rumbled, his nimble fingers making quick work of Chihiro's button down shirt and her jean shorts. He hooked his thumbs over Chihiro's jeans and panties and threw them off, hearing them fall a few feet away.

She wrapped her legs around his waist as he picked her up, carrying her a small distance and dropping her onto the flat plateau of stone. Chihiro shrieked when the icy cold stone touched the sensitive skin of her buttocks. Haku chuckled.

Twenty minutes later, Chihiro was panting, her bare back pressed against the stone which had grown warm from body heat. She was twitching and her legs felt like jelly. Kissing her shoulder was Haku, naked and warm, pressed against her side. Chihiro sighed and closed her eyes.

"Let's go have a bath…," he murmured against her collarbone, a hand snaking around her hip to pull her close. "Let's go to the hot spring and soak."

Chihiro smiled and hummed her approval. "That sounds wonderful."

Haku grinned. "You'll have to get dressed though."

Chihiro sighed and rolled away.

Eventually they got dressed and headed down the mountain. It was a better walk downhill and Chihiro's legs were still wobbly, and her head still up in the clouds. They bypassed the house and walked along the edge of the river, a path Chihiro had never been before – she knew they must have been considerably deep underground as there had once been small holes that spilled in sunlight to illuminate the cavern, but now it was damp and dark and she was relying on Haku's eyes to guide her through.

They eventually came to an opening where the air was considerably warmer and Chihiro shivered in anticipation. The air smelt of herbs and salts and Chihiro grinned as she saw the hot spring come into view.

She wasted no time joining her other half in the hot spring, though she didn't dive into it as he did. The spring was deep and Haku spent a considerable amount of time underwater as Chihiro inched in, sighing and resting against the shore. She closed her eyes in bliss. It was simply perfect.

Haku swam around for a long time before coming to Chihiro. He sat next to her and offered her a back massage. Chihiro agreed readily, shifting between her mate's legs and leaning back into his touch.

"I don't remember a time when I was more relaxed," she sighed as his hands worked at the knots in her muscles. "It's like the world outside doesn't exist."

Haku hummed gently behind her, leaning forward to kiss her ear. His hands skimmed down her lower back, then back up. Chihiro pulled up her hair into a messy bun.

"We could just live out here, exist out here where no one could find us," she sighed.

Haku laughed. "It would be nice, but we would get lonely, Chihiro. You only have to pause for a moment to realise how quiet is in on the riverside. Sometimes you miss the bathhouse, at least, I did – where it was interesting all the time." He pushed into her spine slightly and Chihiro moaned.

"When the baby comes, you'll be wishing for quiet," she replied. Haku smiled.

"Maybe so."

Haku massaged Chihiro's shoulder's gently and felt her body relax totally under his hands. The warm water was so lulling and relaxing, he knew she couldn't help but sway when she began to get a little bit weary. Haku grinned when she fell back on his shoulder, her eyes closed. With their long walk up the mountain, their activities up there, then the trip to the warm, inviting hot spring and the fact that their child often zapped most of her energy, it wasn't surprising Chihiro was falling asleep. In fact, Haku had thought just as much would happen. Knowing she was just on the edge on unconsciousness, Haku nudged a little bit of magic her way, knowing she wouldn't be able to detect its use in her state and Chihiro fell into a deep sleep.

* * *

The room was warm and she was dry when Chihiro woke up. The bleary vision of the room was familiar – it was the den in Haku's river home. There was a fire burning in the hearth, warming the room and she was covered in a brown knitted throw rug resting on the leather lounge. She listened for any sound of Haku – there was some tinkering in the kitchen just off the den before Haku came into the entrance, a teatowel in his hand.

"You're awake," he smiled.

Chihiro moaned and stretched. "How long have I been asleep for?"

"A few hours. I brought you back from the spring once I had my way with you." He winked. Chihiro rolled her eyes and Haku went back to whatever he was doing in the kitchen.

Chihiro knew she was clothed again, but she smelt of river water and felt sticky all over. She sat up on the lounge and hummed when she felt the heat of the fire hitting her. It was soothing.

"Are you hungry?" Haku called from the kitchen. Chihiro yawned and made her way into the kitchen where Haku was seasoning a large piece of meat in a ceramic pot.

"Not really…," Chihiro said, looking around. He wasn't wearing different clothes, so he obviously had not bathed. His hair was glossy and smooth and he was smiling at her. Chihiro sat down at the dining table and looked at her mate suspiciously. "What have you been up to?"

Haku shrugged a little, working the season into the meat. "I went and got some dinner in a nearby village," he said. "You were asleep, so I thought I'd grab something and get it cooking."

"No, that's all right," Chihiro said. Haku looked at her a little funny, picking up on the tone. "What else did you do?"

"Nothing."

Chihiro didn't say anything for a moment. She just looked around the room. Haku stiffened a little, wondering what she'd found out about him – maybe that she'd known he'd put her to sleep.

Chihiro hummed and ran her hand over her stomach. "That was Daddy's first lie for the marriage," she said in a sort of sing-song voice. Haku washed his hands and looked to her.

"I'm not lying!"

"You went nowhere," she said flatly. "You went to the market, and you came back here. Haku, you're wearing the same casual, soiled garments – you barely spent a moment in the market. You probably sent someone to get the meat. You would _never_ step out of the house in clothes like that."

Haku sighed.

"Tell me the truth, Haku," she said. "You might as well. I already know what happened."

Haku deliberated for a moment. He had no doubt that she knew now of what he'd done. He decided to come clean – perhaps she would be angry for less of a time.

"All right… so I went to find the hide-away, but Chihiro-,"

"Haku!" she cried, getting to her feet. "I specifically told you I didn't want to go. Why would you go against my wishes?"

"I'm _sorry_," he said. "I am, but you were sleeping and I just thought 'what harm could it do'?"

Chihiro huffed. "That's not the point, Haku. You have plenty of time to do it after the honeymoon."

"You know I don't have plenty of time, Chihiro," he countered. "What did you expect me to do – watch you while you sleep? Hang around the house? So what if I decided to make the most of my time. You needed your rest, I didn't want to disturb you. So don't play the 'plenty of time card', Chihiro, you know I don't have it."

She sighed and walked away. Haku ran his hands through his hair and watched Chihiro depart. Against his better judgement, his feet moved to follow her.

"Chihiro, can you just wait," he said gently. "Don't storm off, Chihiro, I didn't want to upset you."

"You didn't want me to find out," she whirled around.

"I needed to do it," Haku said.

Chihiro shook her head. "That isn't the point, Haku – that's not the point at all. You miss everything I'm trying to say. This is _our_ time, hell, it's the only time we're going to get together for months, maybe years." She was clearly distressed and tears were pricking her eyes. "You put your work ahead of me. Ahead of _us_. You know you do Haku."

Haku exhaled sharply through his nostrils and stepped forward.

"Don't try to deny it, Haku," she said steadily, noticing her mate's sharp change of temperament. "You just proved it this afternoon."

Haku stepped forward. His eyes were dark and unreadable but Chihiro kept her feet. He was so close she could feel the heat radiating off his body.

"I love you, Chihiro," he said. "But if you want to know the truth, yes, my duties come before you. It will come before my family. It will always come before you because if doing my duties mean that you and my children are, and remain, safe. If means that all families in my Lands remain safe. What do you want me to say? That I'm sorry this is the way it is, because you know I am. I am sorry every goddamn day I was born for this." He stepped towards Chihiro then, making her step back and she felt her back press against the wall of the hallway. Haku leant down, a stony look across his face and took her jawline in his hand.

"I asked for you, I asked for our life together, but I have never asked for this," he hissed. "I will always put my duties in front of you and our children because it means that every night I will be able to come home to you… to us."

Chihiro wrenched her face from Haku's hand and he dropped it back to his side as Chihiro huffed and breathed heavily. Her eyes were fixed on the floor as Haku leant over her, resting his hands on the wall above her.

"Well, did you find anything?" she asked.

"Where?"

She snapped her head up to look at him, her eyes hot and narrowed. "Where you went to look – did you find anything there?"

"No," he shook his head. "There was evidence of someone… people residing in there, but it's gone now. As soon as he told me the location, he probably changed it, or they had not been living there for quite some time. Either way, it was a dead end."

Chihiro shifted uncomfortably, but she made no move to go. Tenderly, Haku took her chin with his thumb and forefinger and tilted her head up. He pressed a kiss against her lips.

"It is my job to keep you safe," he whispered. "It is my job to keep everyone safe." He kissed her again. "It's not the job I asked for, but it's the one I must do and if it lies between losing you or keeping you safe, it's a job I'll be happy to do."

He kissed her gently and Chihiro responded, opening her mouth to him. He pressed her body against him as he practically devoured her. She laced her fingers through his hair and pressed her hips against his.

"Please, Haku," she whimpered. He parted her shirt.

"Again?" he smirked against her neck, cupping her left breast and gently running his thumb over her nipple. Chihiro shivered.

He pressed her against the wall, hitching her legs around his hips before inching down her pants and slipping his hand between her legs. She cried out and bucked at the contact, her fingernails like tiny knives in his back. It was the most beautiful thing he'd ever seen – her arched up, crying his name with pleasure etched across her face. Just for him. Always for him.

"Don't stop," she gasped, her thighs squeezing his sides.

"Never," he grits out. "Not until the sun falls from the sky."

* * *

Thank you to all those people who reviewed the last chapter. We're almost at 450 reviews, and that is so amazing! I hope we get hit in the next couple of chapters. All you guys are amazing.

**Herro, CherriDoll, RubyDemonXoXo, ulquihime7980, Watermelon23, Gearhead Fenton, DemonChild94, WhisperToTheWolves, Carly, LeeshyLoo** and **GangstaSummoner.**

Some of you may have heard that Amazon has now allowed fanfictions to be published on the site, and have readers pay the author of the fanfiction to read it, like they would an eBook. Myself, I don't know how I feel about this. For one, having a fanfiction in an actual book format and art would be awesome, but then again, I'm not working with my own original characters. The intellectual property, at its core, belongs to Hayao Miyazaki. It's a very interesting case to look at, and I'd love your thoughts on the matter. No worries, however, The Path of Water will not be moving to amazon, and will be staying 100% free for everyone to read!

As for me, it's the winter University holidays in Australia. I'll be writing, working and then trying to write a little bit more!

Next time on _The Path of Water_: Chihiro and Haku complete their blissful honeymoon, and go back to the 'real world'.

Please take the time to leave a quick review!

~** Arlia'Devi**


	24. XXIV: Paradise Found

**The Path of Water**

By Arlia'Devi

Disclaimer: I do not own Spirited Away in any respect; all rights go to Hayao Miyazaki and associates. I make no money from this.

**The Path of Water**

**XXIV: Paradise Found**

"Back to reality," Haku said when Chihiro woke up, blinking as the daylight filtered into their room. She rolled over and sighed, tracing patterns on his chest. Today, they had to go back to the Palace – back to where people knew she was pregnant. Back to their insane reality.

"When do you think we'll get back here?" she asked. Haku shrugged a little and sighed, wrapping his arms around her shoulders.

"Let's just say, it won't be just the two of us."

Chihiro shifted and didn't say anything for a moment. Haku felt her worry spike.

"Is there something wrong Chihiro?"

"I don't want to talk about it, Haku," she said gently, waving it off. "It's nothing to worry about."

Haku looked down to Chihiro. "If it's something that's bothering you, I want to hear it."

"You know how a few days ago you said you're going to be working a lot," she sighed gently and rested her chin on her chest. He nodded.

"Yes…?" he muttered, smoothing over her hair. "Chihiro, tell me please. Tell me your worries and we can share them." He ran his thumb over her cheekbone. "Please, darling."

Chihiro sighed and looked away. Haku waited patiently for her to speak.

"I'm scared."

"Of what, dearest?" his tone was gentle like he knew he'd be able to find a solution to the problem – like he was the solution.

"When this baby comes… It's going to be so hard," she said. "It won't be just me and you anymore. Ever. We'll have this little person to worry about. This little person will depend on us. Both of us. We barely make time for each other now… how do we know that-,"

"I will be there, Chihiro," he said firmly. "I am not going anywhere." He smiled and rubbed her cheek. "I'm scared too. I'm really scared, but that doesn't mean I'm not excited. You won't be doing it all yourself."

Chihiro didn't say anything and just sighed, resting her head against her mate's chest. Haku didn't say anything either, knew she didn't want or need him to do that.

They must have slipped back into slumber because some moments later Haku registered he was waking up – he felt lazy and warm and groggy. Chihiro was still sleeping. He grabbed his watch and looked at it – it was late in the morning. He was about to roll over and wake Chihiro when she suddenly bolted for the bed and ran into the toilet. A moment later he heard her throwing up and got up to soothe her.

Haku scooped up her long chestnut hair as he leant beside her, touching her shoulder gently as Chihiro heaved, though nothing came out. She hadn't had breakfast yet, so her stomach was empty. She panted and her eyes watered. Eventually she wiped her mouth on a towel and slumped over the toilet bowl.

"I thought I was over that part…," she whimpered gently. "I feel disgusting."

Haku sighed and grabbed a band from the sink and loosely tied back her hair. "It will wane eventually," he said, kissing her bare shoulder. Chihiro was wearing a light nightgown in silk with strappy shoulders. "Do you feel like a bath?"

Chihiro sighed and nodded, giving Haku no resistance when he helped her to her feet, began to fill the tub and started to undress both of them.

"We spent so much time doing nothing," he hummed appreciatively when Chihiro's silk nightie dropped and he began to undress himself. "It's been wonderful."

They slipped into the warm embrace of the water and Chihiro sighed, closing her eyes. The past few days had been like a dream… Oh, if only it could always be like that. She felt Haku begin to kiss her shoulder and opened her eyes, catching his gaze. He had that warm smoulder in them, those definitive bedroom eyes that made her insides melt.

"One for the road?" he almost whined and Chihiro had to concede.

* * *

Probably the biggest issue she wasn't looking forward to addressing when she arrived back at the Palace was that everyone knew she was pregnant. It had been a good thought for their situation, since he'd told everyone before he'd left for hiding for three days, and for the course of those three days it had been out-of-sight-out-of-mind. But now she'd have to face it all, face all the fake-smiles and the well-wishes that maybe weren't so well-wished. She knew it was hard, being at the Palace herself as a woman of 'power', and that this was what came with being with Haku, but sometimes it was all too much. Sometimes she wished for a carefree, normal existence.

They landed smoothly in a far edge of the Palace Gardens, surprising a few spirits that were working on the hedging. Chihiro got off with a little bit of a wobble. She had re-dressed in formal clothes – a beige robe with a golden _obi_. Haku quickly transformed back, taking Chihiro's hand as she swayed a little.

"Do you need to sit down?" he asked.

Chihiro shook her head. "No," she muttered. "I'm all right now."

Haku noticed the gardeners then and acknowledged them graciously with a small nod and a smile. The gardeners bowed politely before going back to their work.

"Why don't you go and lie down?" he asked politely. "I think I have some work to do. Maybe it's best if I was approached first…"

Chihiro frowned. "This is my baby, too," she retorted. "No, Haku, I'm not some wife you can just hide away."

"I'm just thinking for your safety, Chihiro," he replied.

"I know," she sighed. "But if I'm hidden away like I'm some china doll, then doesn't that _encourage_ the idea that I am something that can be hurt easily? I'd rather be by your side, standing tall and proud. This is our baby, Haku. This is our marriage… mateship, whatever."

He nodded, giving in. Haku knew it would just be more energy exerted on his part if he began to argue with her. Chihiro was stubborn at the best of times.

"Come then," he said, taking her hand. "We shall see people together."

They enter their quarters first. Everything is pristine. It's almost too clean in the room and it freaks Chihiro out a little. Haku put their suitcases on the bed and stretched, lying down atop the plush covering. Chihiro made a bee-line for the toilet and by the time she came out, Haku had changed into more becoming robes. She pouted as he fastened the obi around his waist with the skill of a master; she would miss his stained, run down simple tunics. They made him look more human than god sometimes and he was evidently more carefree. In his formal robes he was all god, all Lord, all power.

Chihiro fluffed her hair before walking to Haku's side.

"I feel the safest when I'm by your side," she muttered into his neck, reaching up to kiss his jaw.

He turned his head to kiss Chihiro gently on the lips. In his opinion they hadn't had near enough of each other on the measly three days they had been gone.

"Are you ready?" he asked, resting his forehead on hers. Chihiro nodded. "I love you. If things don't go well, we can just run away to the house by the river. We can live there together for eternity."

She laughed and nuzzled his nose. "Nothing will go wrong, Haku, although that is a pleasing plan 'b'."

With a sigh Haku broke himself away from Chihiro's embrace and took her hand, walking over to the door to their quarters. When he opened it, Chihiro didn't know what to expect – were there people already gathered out there waiting for her? What would they say?

Surprisingly, there was no one. She looked to Haku who gave a little shrug like he didn't know what was going on either before they began walking towards the Throne Room.

"Are there supposed to be people around?" she whispered.

"Perhaps they have all abandoned me," Haku joked with a small smile as they came to the great double doors.

Much to Chihiro's relief, the Throne Room had a few people in it – an accountant, and a clerical staff who were going through the backlog of appointments the Lord had for the day and the rest of the week. When they saw Haku enter, they quickly rose to their feet and bowed.

"My Lord and Lady," said the clerical spirit. "It is good to see you back. Congratulations."

"Thank you," Haku nodded sagely. "How has the Palace been fairing in our absence? Where may I find Ayne?"

"Very well, thank you, My Lord. We have some appointments scheduled for the morning, and there is some paperwork forwarded to your office."

Chihiro cringed. _Back to work…_

"I believe mistress Ayne is in her office, on the far side of the building, my Lord."

Haku nodded and turned to Chihiro. They began walking to the far side of the building. As they passed a few spirits they bowed and muttered their congratulations before going on.

"Are you sure they know?" Chihiro hissed as they rounded a corner. "They could just be congratulating us on our mating?"

"They know," Haku replied seriously. He rested his hand on the doorknob of a large wooden door before tapping lightly with his finger.

"It is I, Ayne, may I come in?"

"Oh!" was the cry from inside. There was some strange noises from inside before Haku opened the door, letting himself in. Chihiro followed her husband into the office, watching as Ayne put away some papers and stacked a pile of books.

"Just researching, my Lord," she smiled. "How was your time away? Joyous I hope?"

"It was pleasant," Haku replied with the stony face Chihiro knew so well. He didn't like to give away too much. "How are the feelings here? Before I left, I announced Chihiro's pregnancy."

Ayne sighed and sat down in her office chair. She made a gesture for Haku and Chihiro to sit, which they did. Ayne offered tea, which they both rejected.

"It was as you could expect, my lord and lady," she admitted. "The Palace was swelling with gossip, but I do believe they have settled down now. It was well-advised on your part and the organisation of such an announcement."

"And what was the general overview of the situation?" Chihiro asked.

"Some were happy," she replied. "Most do not care. Some choice words were said, however, I shall admit that."

"People are allowed an opinion," Haku replied a little gritty.

Ayne nodded. "Of course. But most people are happy for the Lord and Lady," she smiled. "_I_ am happy."

"Thank you, Ayne," Chihiro smiled. "That means a lot to us."

"Can I help you with anything else today, my Lord?" she handed him a small folder of documents. "Here are some papers that need to be read while you were away. Nothing of great importance."

Haku took the folder and flipped through a few papers – documents of funding, requests, some letters.

"I searched the Northern Mountains while I was away, in accordance with what Shinji had described," Haku said absent-mindedly as he read half a paper and flicked it over. Ayne cocked her head in interest. "There was evidence someone was there, but they're definitely gone now."

"Probably left the moment he returned back there," Ayne replied.

"It begs the question what was there that he is trying to hide," Haku said. "His motives confuse me…" The dragon lord sighed deeply.

"Maybe he's trying to get you to follow him, Haku…," Chihiro said meekly, for once in her life, afraid of voicing her opinion. It was foolish, she knew, and she had no doubts holding her back to speak with him like this in the comfort of their quarters, but there was something about this room, this heated discussion that made her feel aloof.

"How do you think?"

Chihiro shrugged her shoulders a little. "I don't know. But it seems strange he tells you where to find him, encourage you to visit, and disappear. Was there anything at the site?"

Haku shook his head. "Nothing. The ground was run down, like people had been squatting there for some time. That, and a lingering scent, was the only clue. They haven't been gone for very long, though, a week or two at most."

"Since he left here," Ayne hummed. "We have no way of tracking him down, either…"

Haku sighed and Chihiro bit her lip.

The rest of the day passed with Chihiro in her quarters, reading in the sun and taking a short nap. She truly felt terrible while her dearest husband worked out in the real world; she was having naps in the sun and blissfully reading books. Chihiro laughed. She should probably prepare dinner for him when he got back, but they would eat out of the kitchens, no doubt. They always did.

Chihiro sighed and closed yet another book written on humans by spirits and rolled her head to watch a spirit watering the garden. He was meticulous with the buckets, gathering water from the well in the middle of the garden and carting it over to the dry garden beds.

Chihiro sighed and rubbed her stomach. She wasn't hungry. It was just a habit she'd come across recently. Feeling it puff out a little was a strange feeling. Even stranger was the fact that a tiny thing was resting under her fingertips.

Suddenly, there was a soft knock at the door. Chihiro got up slowly to answer it.

It was a tall spirit, dressed in a modest tunic and pants, holding a great parcel.

"Lord Kohaku said to deliver this to you, Lady Chihiro," said the spirit. "May I come in and place it down for inspection? I do not wish to hand it to you. It is too heavy in your condition."

Chihiro cleared her throat.

"Of course," she said after snapping out of her reverie. "Please come in."

The spirit walked in and dropped the parcel. He was a tall spirit with deep teal skin. Perhaps the strangest of all were the two gills that opened and closed rhythmically on each side of his neck, like a shark, or a stingray.

The spirit bowed. "Have a lovely day, my lady."

"Thank you."

When the spirit left, Chihiro took her attention to the large package. The brown paper wrapping didn't last long under her hands, revealing a distinctly modern wapping with small balloons and birds printed on it. There was a card stuck to the top of the present.

_To our dearest Chihiro,_

_Congratulations. We hope this will find use in the very near future._

_All our love,_

_Mama and Papa._

Chihiro smiled before tucking the card in her pocket. She began to open the present.

Tied together first was a small pile of pregnancy books – modern human pregnancy books. Chihiro squealed and cherished them. _Finally_! There was something she could read and attempt to know what to expect when she became bigger.

Then there was a whole assortment of gender-neutral clothes, like baby one-pieces and jumpers and cute beanies and socks! So many tiny little socks. Chihiro held one in her hand for a moment. It barely covered her palm. It was amazing.

There were some bottles with little bees printed on them. A pack of dummies, a blanket, a small flat pillow for the crib…

"Wow…," Chihiro muttered, trying to process everything. Her parents had bought almost one of everything that they would need – the absolute basics. There were even some small toys for the baby, still in their plastic wrapping. She sighed, trying to take everything in.

Eventually Chihiro gathered the baby stuff and carried it into the yellow room, storing it on the floor until they got around to furnishing it. She placed the pregnancy books, however, on her bed-side table to begin reading that night.

Not long after, Haku entered the chambers, finishing his half a day of work. Pouring himself a small drink, he smiled when Chihiro kissed him on the cheek.

"Have a good day, husband?" she whispered.

"It was pleasant," he grinned, taking a small sip of sake. "Did you get the package?"

Chihiro nodded.

"What was in it?"

"Mama and Papa sent us some things we will need for the baby."

Haku's eyebrows shot up. "Really?" he asked. "Like what?"

"Like this."

Chihiro showed Haku her favourite pair of socks from the pack. They were yellow and white striped with a tiny chick's head embroidered around the toes.

"Oh…," Haku took the tiny sock from Chihiro's hand. His other hand put down the tumbler of sake. For a moment, Chihiro couldn't see her husband's face as he studied the sock – the shadow of his fringe fell over his eyes.

When Chihiro noticed Haku's shoulder's shaking, she stepped forward apprehensively. "Haku? Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," he returned with a watery hitch in his voice. A hand went to rub under his eyes and it dawned on Chihiro that he was crying.

"Oh Haku," she crooned, taking him in his arms. Haku's head fell onto her shoulder, burying his face into the crook of his neck.

"What sort of tears are these?" she asked, smoothing over his hair with a hand.

He pulled back to place a wet, sloppy kiss to her cheek, studying the sock over her shoulder.

"Happy," he replied. "Definitely happy."

* * *

Much later, after a glorious round of love-making on the bed, and then in the shower, after dinner and after their nightly rituals, Haku and Chihiro laid in bed together. With a pregnancy book nestled between her hands, Chihiro read on about the development of their baby, pointing out how big it would be now to Haku every now and again.

Haku was doing work in the light of the lamp, jotting down something or other in a folder of classified documents. Sometimes he 'ummed' and 'ahhed' over certain sections, but then the pen scribbled down some symbols and he turned to the next paper. Chihiro didn't ask what he was doing, because she knew he could handle it.

"Haku," she asked, closing her pregnancy book for the night. Haku was still deeply engrossed in his late night work.

"Hmm?"

"Do you remember the 1950's?"

A small smile flitted across his face. He scribbled something down.

"Briefly. Why?"

"I was just wondering," Chihiro asked. Haku gave her a strange look across the bed before packing up his papers.

"Haku?"

"Yes, Chihiro?" he said patiently.

"Can I ask you something. Can you give me your honest opinion?"

"You can ask me anything," Haku replied, "I will always respond honestly."

"You don't always. You lie for the sake of others sometimes. I don't want you to do that to me."

"I think you should just say what you want to say, Chihiro," he said patiently.

Chihiro studied the bed cover then and her fingers picked at the embroidery.

"I've been reading a lot recently," Chihiro said. "A lot of stuff that spirits has written about humans…," she muttered. "And a lot of it is really, _really,_ wrong. I don't know how the publishing industry works around here, but do you think if I wrote something… people would read it?"

"You want to write a book?"

Chihiro nodded, but studied the look on her husband's face.

"It's a stupid idea, I'm sorry," she waved it off and turned over suddenly, unable to face Haku's look any longer. "I just thought I could do something useful around here. Sometimes I feel kinda useless."

Haku smiled gently and touched Chihiro's shoulder. "I think it's a fantastic idea, Chihiro."

The human woman turned on her back slowly.

"You really think so?"

"Of course I do," he said. "I think it would be refreshing, if anything, to read something from you. You've very pioneering, you know, the first Lady of a Lord, the first human even in the spirit world for a very long time. You have a lot to say that should be heard." He kissed her cheek. "You are not a bored housewife, Chihiro."

Chihiro shifted a little uncomfortably as Haku pressed a kiss to her cheek.

"I get so caught up around here about other people's opinions," Chihiro muttered.

"Hmm?" Haku asked, nuzzling her neck. "How so?"

"Women should be seen and not heard. To speak only when spoken to. It's archaic in my time to think something like that. It's hard to fathom. Ayne told me she used to work in a brothel. So did Ismene."

"A lot of women used to work in a brothel," Haku said, sitting up. He'd been getting in the mood until Chihiro had brought that up. "Sar'onga gave them a place in the parliament after he became close with them."

"You mean-," Chihiro swallowed deeply.

Haku nodded. "I'm not saying it is right, Chihiro, but it's how it happened. Sar'onga funded many of the women's tutors to teach politics and tactics, literature and arts. You may ask Ayne. She was very close with Sar'onga. Many of the women grew to love him."

Chihiro flipped over, facing the wall. She felt Haku's hand against her shoulder.

"I've taken in a few women…," he cleared his throat. "At the bathhouse. I gave them fresh clothes, employment, bedding… But many women are happy to work, Chihiro."

"I understand that," she replied, rolling over again. "This place is so different to mine sometimes. It's jarring."

Haku smiled and kissed her lips gently. "There is no reason why this world cannot take on some qualities of your world. Write your book, Chihiro, write about me and you and us and being a woman here. I will support you." He ghosted his thumb over her cheekbone. "People could learn a lot from you."

Chihiro smiled. "Thank you, Haku."

* * *

Sorry – hahaha, it's Sunday somewhere! We're so close to 450 reviews, which is fantastic, so thank you to everyone who's been reviewing these chapters and waiting for them to come out every week!

Thanks to;

**toshirofan4ever, Omg, Sokka2Me, Angel of Mysteries, Heartz4Jesus, RubyDemonXoXo, Watermelon23, hero, WhisperToTheWolves, CherriDoll, ulquihime7980, Gearhead Fenton, DemonChild94, Carly, The Madness Of My Life, KisaTiger12**, and **LeeshyLoo.**

I'm hoping to get some more writing down this holidays while Uni is on a break, so look out for more. I thought I'd include more cutesy moments between Haku and Chihiro, even though they are 'back to business' at the palace.

**Reviews take 30 seconds and make my day! **Please take the time to leave one!

See you all next time!

~**Arlia'Devi**


	25. XXV: Heat

**The Path of Water**

By Arlia'Devi

Disclaimer: I do not own Spirited Away in any respect; all rights go to Hayao Miyazaki and associates. I make no money from this.

**The Path of Water**

**XXV: Heat**

It was a normal day in the palace in early January, and unlike the human world, where it would be bone-chilling temperatures, it was quite warm in the spirit summer. Chihiro was enjoying it immensely. It wasn't as hot as it was uncomfortable, so the days were spent leisurely in the garden. More often or not, however, Chihiro spent many hours in the late afternoon when she began to get tired and the sun got too stingy, reading.

She was taking Haku's advice and began to think about writing a book. She was reading so many books written by spirits on humans, so why not a book about humans, written by a human living in the spirit world?

Haku had encouraged her to become a more prolific image around the palace and spirit world. Chihiro wasn't sure how she felt about that. She sighed and took a sip of her tea, flicking the page.

It wasn't that she didn't like the idea of representing the female gender; it's just that she wasn't sure she could do it properly. She wasn't a Germaine Greer or a Fusae Ichikawa. She wasn't made of that material. Chihiro grunted as she read something very unbecoming about humans in her current tome.

_I'm glad Haku's a little more modern than these guys_, she huffed. _It's not hard to know where all this stigma for humans comes from…_

"Chihiro?"

Chihiro got up from Haku's desk and closed the book, marking the page. Brushing out her dress, she exited the study and found her husband holding a large bouquet of beautiful, exotic flowers.

"Happy birthday, dearest," he smiled.

"You remembered?" Chihiro grinned, running to kiss him passionately.

"Of course I remembered!" he said, "you have such little faith in me, my little mate. The question remains if you remember when my birthday is."

It would have to be coming up. They were boardering on their first year together. Then, with mortification, Chihiro realised she had probably missed it already and quickly turned to the flowers to hide her shame.

"These are beautiful, what are these? I've never seen them around here, or even in Zeniba's garden."

With a small knowing smile, Haku turned to the flowers and began explaining a few that Chihiro pointed out.

"Happy twenty-first birthday, darling," he kissed her lips. "Come with me now." He took her hand and Chihiro followed gleefully towards their bedroom. Haku paused for the moment to arrange the flowers in a glass vase before carrying on.

On the bed was a large box. Chihiro must have missed someone bringing it in.

"Open it," he urged.

Chihiro smiled and went to the bed, feeling like a girl off a rom-com movie, began to untie the giant bow that wrapped what looked like an expensive dress box.

The ribbon fell to the side and Chihiro lifted off the lid to reveal a beautiful traditional gown.

"Oh, Haku, it's beautiful," she smiled.

It was. The lower layer, the _nagajuban_ was a light lime colour, plain and made of a lightweight cotton for the summer. It could be layered for the colder months. The outer layer was a deep red with a swirling pattern of a great scarlet dragon in gold fighting or flying with other dragons, Chihiro could not tell. There was a small village embroidered along the hem of the kimono, of small people and tiny houses as the dragons flew through the sky. A yellow _obi_ finished the kimono. Chihiro felt the silk. It was one of the softest fabrics she'd ever felt. This must have been very expensive.

"Haku…," she murmured.

"I know you have beautiful kimono," he purred from behind. "But you hardly have any for a special occasion. And you'll look beautiful in this. I know you will."

She touched his hand as it rested on her shoulder.

"Thank you."

He kissed her neck gently.

"Wait until after dinner," he murmured. "And then you can thank me properly."

"Wicked," she scolded him gently. "It's supposed to be _my_ birthday."

He nudged her towards the garment. "Try it on, dearest."

"Now?"

He nodded.

Chihiro was hesitant, but when she looked at the garment sitting in it's wrapping, she caved. She shucked off her current everyday robe and went to try on the kimono. Gleefully, Haku helped her tie the obi before taking a step back and smiling.

"It's perfect on you, I know it would be." Haku laughed and grasped her hand. "Come with me now."

"Where are we going?" she asked when Haku tugged her out to the garden. Since when had the curtains been drawn? It was getting dark outside, and she was growing hungry. Haku parted the curtains and stepped out to the small private garden.

"Come, Chihiro," he said eagerly, something glimmering in his marble-like emerald eyes.

"All right, I'm coming," she said, hitching up her skirts as she stepped into the garden. She didn't want to dirty the ends of her skirts. Haku disappeared out into the darkness of the garden. When Chihiro rounded the door, Haku had changed clothes. Or maybe they were the clothes he'd been wearing all along… No, that couldn't be it, right. He was wearing a darker robe now – he never wore anything dark. It may have been navy. Haku never wore black.

The garden was filled with small tea lights strewn across the yard. It looked magical and somewhere she heard the sound of water trickling. Haku grinned at her before moving to her side, revealing the scene before her.

There was a small intimate table, illuminated only by tea-lights and candles. Beside the table was a small group of people she instantly recognised.

"Oh my god," Chihiro gushed. Haku laughed beside her.

"Happy birthday, Chihiro!" cried Chase, Hotaru, Rin and Zeniba in unison.

"Oh my god," Chihiro squealed as her friends came to embrace her. Chase was first, then Rin and finally her grandmother, while Hotaru and Haku talked causally and Haku cracked a beer.

"I miss you guys so much," Chihiro gushed as her girlfriends swarmed her. "Did Haku organise all of this?"

"Of course," said Zeniba. "He's been organising it for weeks – since your wedding."

She turned to thank Haku, only to realise he had left her side and was now talking and laughing with Hotaru over near a table where a keg of beer was resting. He was pouring them both steins and speaking about the beverage.

"You guys are drinking champagne," Chihiro pouted as she grabbed a glass of water. "I bet it's delicious, too!"

"A bottle of the finest champagne," boasted Chase. "Don't worry, Chihiro, we'll save you a bottle to drink on your twenty-second, birthday." It was evident she was already a little drunk. "So how goes the little thing, hmm?"

Chihiro touched her belly. "Getting there. Baby is slowly growing. Sixteen weeks."

"Do you know what it is yet?" asked Rin.

Chihiro shook her head. "I think we might leave it as a surprise. My parents sent me some stuff, all gender neutral so that's nice."

"Have you started thinking of names?" asked Zeniba.

"Not really…," Chihiro shrugged. "We haven't really been thinking about it."

"There's still a lot of time," Zeniba nodded sagely. "But you don't want to get stuck with a bouncing nameless baby in your arms and you and your mate squabbling over names."

Rin finished her champagne and left the group, heading over to where the boys were speaking and drinking beer.

"But when I had Aeala, I was so set on some of the names I had until I saw her actually in my arms and the names just didn't fit," she said. "Have some back-ups. Write down your favourites, well, boy and girl if you don't know what you're having."

"We'll have to start thinking about it soon enough though. I think Mama might have sent some baby name books…"

Chase went to fill her drink, leaving Chihiro and her Granny to speak alone.

"If you ever need anything, just call me," she said gently. "I have heard from your mother you were having trouble adjusting. I never had any children, my child, "

Chihiro nodded. "Thank you, Granny. I've been feeling good."

"May I?" Zeniba asked. Chihiro nodded and stepped a little closer. Zeniba pressed her hand on her stomach.

"I think Haku does this most nights. He'd say if anything was wrong. He loves just sitting there and feeling it."

"It's most definitely still an 'it'," agreed Zeniba. "But that won't be for too much longer. But everything seems healthy."

"Dinners ready everyone!" called Haku. "Quickly. This was prepared by one of the best chefs in all the Eastern Lands. Darling, come, you're our guest of honour tonight."

Chihiro laughed and Zeniba rolled her eyes.

"Your dragon is nothing but extravagant. I'm surprised you could tie him down to such a simple wedding."

"It was not without its challenges," she assured Zeniba. The old witch laughed and they made their way to the table.

Dinner was fantastic. A three course meal that was so good she thought she'd died and gone to heaven, or wherever people went these days. Haku got slightly drunk, to the feeling that he was warm all over and they stayed up just talking and drinking well into the wee hours of the morning. It was only on Zeniba's insistence that they disband the party at close to two in the morning, for Chihiro's sake. She knew she needed the rest, but times like these with her friends were so rare.

* * *

After the party was done and her friends had retired to some of the many guest rooms on this side of the palace, Haku helped her get undressed and folded the kimono correctly before storing it away. That didn't mean he didn't make a few drunken passes at her as he helped her undress, but it was two in the morning and she was tired. Suddenly, there was a knock at the door. Haku went to answer it.

It was Rin, Haku had told her. Chihiro went to get up from bed, but Haku shook his head.

"You can go to sleep," he assured, kissing her gently on the lips. "I won't be long. She just wants to talk."

"But Rin is my friend…," Chihiro protested but her body made no move to leave the comforts of her bed.

"I'll be back shortly."

Haku met Rin in the foyer of their chambers. She was eagerly looking around at the decoration before he led her to a formal dining room to talk. She looked remarkably beautiful in a dignified way - her hair was almost black and sleek and shiny, her body was toned and her shoulder's were broad. Rin's facial features had always been harsh, but she had a knack for makeup that flattered her bone structure. Rin was truly a beautiful creature in her own right, despite her wicked and sharp tongue.

"Chihiro is asleep," he said, ushering for her to sit. "Tea?"

"That's alright," replied Rin. "What I have to say doesn't concern her, anyway. It would only worry her. No thank you, Haku…," she paused. "Is it alright if I call you Haku, even now?"

"Of course," he said. "Of what did you wish to speak, Rin?"

The sable spirit sighed.

"Raijin. Did he come by?"

"Yes," Haku nodded.

"He wasn't at the wedding."

"On Chihiro's request. Not mine."

"He hasn't been around the bathhouse."

"You worry for him."

"I'm stating an observation."

Haku smirked at her sharp tone.

"I cannot give you the information you seek, Rin. I know not where Raijin is. It is true that he did visit the palace in the week before my mating. He was worried of some things in the Western lands, of which he is always worried."

"Does he have any right to be?" hissed Rin. "I've been hearing things, Haku. It just feels… too normal."

"Everything is under control," he assured her. "If I do see Raijin, shall I tell him you were worried for him?"

"Don't try to twist this around!" Rin cried, getting up from her chair.

"Chihiro-," Haku reminded quietly. Rin instantly quieted down.

"She will come if we arouse suspicion that we're fighting, and she won't leave until she's satisfied we're playing nicely," he murmured. "And Chihiro needs her rest."

"Why aren't we playing nicely, Haku?" Rin muttered. Her head dropped in her hands.

"We have never played nicely together, Rin," he reminded. "We have always fought. Have you heard news of Yubaba?"

"No," Rin croaked.

"I see."

"Have you?" she peeked to the dragon and watched as he shook his head.

"When Raijin came to Chihiro in the human world, he had bad intentions. Chihiro said his eyes were a crimson red and that he looked like a wild animal. He wanted her to go with him, I know not where," admitted Haku. "When Raijin arrived, he admitted that he could remember little of that night. It seems… perhaps, he was not acting of his own will."

"Red eyes?" Rin muttered. Raijin had the most spectacular blue eyes. "I want to ask of who would want Sen, but-,"

"Any number of power hungry barons or would-be Lords," he supplied. "She is great leverage in her condition. We may speculate it is someone in the Western Lands, but we cannot be sure. There is no evidence. I met the new lord of the Western Lands. He is young and still adjusting, but I hope our relationship will be strong."

Rin remained silent for a long time.

"It is fortunate the bathhouse is not close to the Western border," she said.

"I know."

"We would have a tough time trying to defend that _and_ the train station."

"What do you know of Hotaru. Do you know him better than I?"

Rin shook her head. "Not that I know of – no. The only person that would… that knows anything-,"

"Is Yubaba, I know."

Rin chewed on her lip. "She could be anywhere."

"I have been searching. I have many questions she may know the answers to," he said. "As of yet, I've had no luck."

"Ask Zeniba?"

"Knows as much as I do. I had hoped Yubaba would return for her son, but evidently not."

"Yubaba was a master of sorcery, like her sister… perhaps there is some sort of spell she cast over Raijin. I mean, Yubaba has always wanted to get you back, she's always been bitter about you since you broke Sen's spell."

Haku nodded. "Yubaba worked some evil magic however. Zeniba could tell me if a spell like that exists or not."

Rin agreed.

"I'll speak with her tomorrow," Haku said, more to himself than to Rin. She was looking into the fire and for just a moment, Haku saw something strange. In the light, it reflected something off her complexion. Something he'd never noticed - the dark circles under Rin's eyes and the red-rimming of his eyes. Rin turned back suddnenly and suddenly the shadows were gone and her complexion was flawless yet again.

Haku cleared his throat. "You should get some rest, Rin. Your quarters are fine, I hope?"

"More than accommodating, thank you Haku," she smiled.

Haku rose and approached Rin. He did not move to touch her, but instead looked into her eyes and said,

"I know this has been difficult for you, Rin. Thank you. You are one of my greatest and noblest friends."

Rin offered a tight smile. "Thank you, Haku. You're not so bad yourself." She took a tight breath in before quickly stepping in to embrace the dragon. "Thank you for looking after Sen."

A little in shock, Haku did not know what to do for a moment before eventually he returned the woman's embrace.

"She looks after herself," he assured Rin. "I am only around to make sure no harm befalls her."

"She's such a dope sometimes," laughed Rin nervously into Haku's shoulder pads.

"You shouldn't worry for Raijin," he replied, letting Rin go. "He's a beacon for trouble Rin, and he can take care of himself."

"I'm not worried for him," Rin rebuked. "He's a valued customer. He's your friend."

"And as _my_ friend," Haku rebuked, "I urge you not to get into something you can't deal with. Raijin...," he shook his head. "You should worry less, Rin..."

* * *

The following morning, Haku proceeded to give Chihiro the end of her birthday present when she woke up. By the late morning he finally found the time to roll out of bed with Chihiro resting leisurely, bathing in the afterglow of her climax.

"I have to go speak to Zeniba before she leaves," he said. Chihiro nodded. "Then I have a bit of work to do. I might be working late tonight."

"Do what you have to do," she said gently. "I'm going to have brunch with Chase, Hotaru and Rin. I may find Zeniba once you're finished speaking with her."

Haku adjusted his collar as Chihiro got up to grab her towel for a shower.

"I'll see you tonight, dearest." He kissed her lips briefly before leaving the bedroom. Chihiro heard the door to their quarters close before going to run a warm bath.

Haku found Zeniba in her quarters, waiting on him. There was a small pot of brewed tea on the dining table and two teacups.

"Sorry to keep you waiting," he apologised.

"It's quite alright, Haku," said Zeniba. "The tea was only just delivered. Would you like a cup?"

"Thank you," Haku smiled and sat down. "How is everything at home – No Face and Bou?"

"Fairing well," said Zeniba. "But I know you do not wish to talk about such domestic matters, Haku. Cut to the chase, please."

Haku took a sip of the tea. It was tangy and a little bitter, not like the sweeter teas Chihiro usually ordered.

"I had a distressing conversation with Raijin a few weeks ago," he admitted. "The night he met Chihiro in the human world, he does not remember. Apparently there are many moments in his mind that have turned hazy and dark. Chihiro reported that he looked like a wild animal."

"What is your thinking then, Haku?" asked Zeniba. She took a sip of the tea and must have liked the bitter taste of it, as she sighed contently.

"Do you know of any spells that could make him act differently, and not have any recognition of such actions?"

Zeniba put down her teacup. "Such spells I am not associated with."

"Was your sister?"

Zeniba sighed and fixed her hair, taking out the pin and smoothing back the stray hairs.

"I could not know," she admitted. "Yubaba dabbled in a lot of things she probably shouldn't… my golden seal for example."

Haku cleared his throat and a small smile touched his lips. Zeniba noticed the dusting of red across his cheeks and nose and smiled.

"You have been forgiven," she chuckled. "My sister probably knew a spell for that, since she did enslave you for quite a few years, and the rest of the staff of the bathhouse."

"So are you saying we should be on the lookout for a small slug wriggling around in Raijin's intestines?"

"_No_," corrected Zeniba. "But something similar. Such a spell would exist, a mind-controlling spell, like what Yubaba cast on you, and on Chihiro. Unlike her spell, however, Raijin seems to realise that there is something wrong with him, whereas,"

"Under Yubaba's spell you did not realise you were losing your identity," Haku finished.

"This spell is a not as honed as Yubaba's. Perhaps this person is not as good a sorcerer as Yubaba," Zeniba shrugged. "But no doubt, something like that definitely exists. Do you know where Raijin is?"

Haku shook his head.

Zeniba made a noise in the back of her throat and finished her tea.

"That tea was terrible," she said gently.

"I thought you enjoyed it, so I didn't say anything," Haku laughed.

"No, it was terribly bitter," Zeniba laughed. "Now, let's speak of something happier – my granddaughter and great grandchild."

Haku smiled. "It is going well," he said. "The baby is growing. Chihiro is healthy."

"I said to her last night to begin thinking of names," Zeniba said.

"We should," he nodded.

"You are pressed for time, you two are so busy these days you may not realise time has gone so quickly before you have your baby in your arms," she said. "You're not going to find out the gender?"

Haku shook his head. "Surprise me. I do not care, either way. Daughters and sons do me fine."

Zeniba smiled and finished her tea. It was suddenly late into the morning and the witch knew it was time to go.

"I must leave now Haku, but it's been lovely speaking with you," she smiled. "You seem to fit this job well – it's becoming of you."

"Thank you Zeniba," he smiled and nodded his appreciation sagely.

"Much more becoming than a little thief."

"We are passed that, to be sure, Zeniba."

The witch offered him a well natured smile. "It has been lovely to see you, Haku. Send my love to my granddaughter."

"I will. Thank you, Zeniba."

* * *

It was two weeks later when Chihiro didn't get up for the first time. When Haku pressed his hand to Chihiro's forehead in the morning and she blearily looked up to him, he didn't worry. She often felt overly tired, especially since she was growing bigger. She ate larger portions and slept longer. He had asked if she was feeling all right today, and she nodded. "I just want to sleep," she murmured and rolled over. Haku went to work, leaving Chihiro to sleep.

When he got home, she had been fine.

It was a regular appearance as the weeks passed. Chihiro would have less energy, her limbs would become sore and she would sleep for most of the afternoon. When she did wake it was to eat, and maybe read a book or have a bath with Haku, and then she would go to bed again – seemingly tired, once again.

One morning however, when Haku was getting ready, Chihiro did not get up. He smoothed his hand over her head, brushing the bangs from her face and felt something very wrong.

"Chihiro," he said, pressing his hand to her cheeks, and then down her sternum. "You're burning up."

"What?" she croaked.

"You're burning up. You're running hot. Do you feel all right?"

She whimpered a little and rolled onto her side, her back facing him. Haku huffed and pulled the blankets away.

"Chihiro," he said gently, turning her over. She whimpered and moaned and tried to fight him off. "Stand up for me, Chihiro. Look, you're sweating all over. You've got a fever; you have to get out of bed."

She stumbled to her feet before her knees gave way.

"Ugh!" she cried, collapsing into Haku's arms. "My head is spinning. Do I have a cold, Haku? It's summer… I-,"

"I'm calling Zeniba. I'm not going to work. This is serious." He eased her back down onto the bed and went to the bathroom. He emerged quickly with a small cloth soaked in cool water and pressed it to Chihiro's head. She groaned at the contact. Her skin felt like it was on fire and the water was a balm. "All you've been doing is sleeping."

"I have no energy," she whimpered. "You think it's serious?"

Haku shrugged a little. "I don't know."

"Do you think it's something to do with the baby?"

"I don't know," he said, evidently becoming worried. "You're way too hot, Chihiro. I'm going to call Zeniba."

Haku stalked over to the office, where the telephone was sitting on the desk and began dialling a number.

Chihiro managed to get to her feet. Her stomach was swollen, there was a very noticeable bump stretching the fabric of Chihiro's pyjamas and she stumbled towards the office. She felt like she was on fire, and her head was spinning. She didn't know how much time had passed when suddenly Haku was by her side again. She must have been pressed against the wall for a long time, because he said that Zeniba was coming over straight away.

"What are you doing up, Chihiro?" he snapped. "You need to sit down. You shouldn't be walking around."

"The room is spinning, Haku," she whimpered and anchored herself to him. She felt herself get lifted and placed down again. Chihiro's toes touched the cool floor of what must have been the bathroom because she heard the water running in the bathtub as Haku started on her clothes.

"Zeniba said to place you in the bath of cold water until she gets here," he said. "You need to cool down."

Chihiro didn't put up a fight and sunk into the shallow bath water. It was like a balm to her, like the fire had been doused momentarily. Hazily she grasped her husband's hand and squeezed it tightly.

"I'm going to lose the baby."

He shook his head. "Don't say that," he growled. "You're going to be fine. It's just a fever."

"No," she said gravely. "Something's wrong. I can feel it, Haku." She swallowed and looked at her stomach, swollen with child and slick with water. Her hands squeezed his again. "I'm scared."

* * *

I was supposed to upload this sunday night, but the wifi at my parents house was poor, and I edited this WHOLE chapter, 'saved' it and the internet died on me, and I had a train to catch early that morning. However, now I'm back at a stable connection, and managed to actually write a chapter to TPOW on the train which was fantastic.

Thanks so much to those reviewers who reviewed the last chapter. We past the 450 mark which was so fantastic and I love reading everyone's comments.

**Abcdefg824, Sokka2Me, Omg, herro, CherriDoll, RubyDemonXoXo, ChHku, , Savvyzzzz, The Awesome Ninja, Tamisin, toshirofan4ever, Gearhead FentonLoxxi, WhisperToTheWolves,** and **LeeshyLoo.**

Thank you so much. I'm really glad you're enjoying the chapters!

If you're interested in my writing, I have a twitter account. I'm currently writing an original novel, and am a non-fiction editor and writer. If you're interested in reading my writing outside of fanfiction and you have a twitter account, I'd love for you to get in touch via the review below!

You're all awesome. Thanks for reading and please take the time to leave a review before you go!

~** Arlia'Devi**


	26. XXVI: Cold

**The Path of Water**

By Arlia'Devi

Disclaimer: I do not own Spirited Away in any respect; all rights go to Hayao Miyazaki and associates. I make no money from this.

**The Path of Water**

**XXVI: Cold**

When Zeniba got to the palace, she hoped it wasn't too late. Her boots clicked on the marbled floor as she ran through the foyer, bypassing the receptionist and employees that congregated to the foyer. Haku, bless his heart, had notified staff of her arrival so she had no problems getting through. Not like she would have had problems, however, she would have gotten through – a few staff members would have been worse for wear, that is true, but nothing would keep her apart from her dear grandchild.

When Haku answered the door, relief flooded his features.

"Where is she?" she barged past Haku.

"Laying on the bed," he said, following Zeniba through the apartment.

"How long was she in the bath?"

"Twenty minutes. She just got out."

Zeniba ran into the master bedroom and Haku was in quick pursuit. Chihiro lay on the bed in a light robe. Sweat had formed on her brow again and she was panting heavily. When she saw Zeniba, she smiled gently and reached out to her.

"Are you in pain, dear?" Zeniba asked gently, taking her granddaughter's hand.

"No," she shook her head. "What's happening to me?"

Zeniba laughed gently. "I'm afraid this is all your dragon's fault, dear." She reached into the large black bag she'd brought with her and revealed a thin book of spells and some assorted ingredients Haku recognised. They were rare and expensive… He swallowed thickly.

"You see, Chihiro, dear," she said as she noticed Haku eyeing the contents of her bag. "You and Haku are very different people but probably the biggest difference in you is that you're warm blooded and he is cold blooded. How long have you been feeling like this?"

"This morning I woke up feeling this terrible."

"Have you been feeling sleepy recently?"

She nodded. "For about a week. I'm sleepy all the time."

"Zeniba," Haku warned lowly. He touched the book of spells Zeniba had brought with her and frowned.

"I see," said Zeniba, ignoring Haku. "Well, when you first said you were having a baby, I was so happy. As the baby grows, it develops systems that will produce its own blood. I had hoped the baby would have been more like you dear, and warm blooded, but it seems its more dragon than human. The child has cold blood."

Zeniba took out a small bowl and placed the strange contents of a packet inside it. They looked like strange little bean pods and when she began to crush them up, they emitted a weird smell.

"My body is rejecting the baby…," Chihiro muttered. Haku had rounded the other side then and taken up Chihiro's hand. She looked at him and frowned. "Is that what's happening?"

"Essentially," replied Zeniba. She kept her cheery tone to her. "But it's something that can easily be fixed, darling. Don't worry about that."

"How?" Chihiro asked.

Haku answered. "It's just a simple spell, Chihiro."

"Is the baby all right?" she croaked.

Haku nodded. "It's just fretting. It will be all right, Chihiro."

"Very simple spell," repeated Zeniba. Haku looked across the bed at her and narrowed his eyes. _Liar_, he thought. Chihiro squeezed her husband's hand tightly.

"I was thinking, Chihiro," said Haku gently and the woman opened her eyes blearily as he spoke. "We should think about some baby names. I'll get a book from the library or something and we could talk about some." He smoothed the hair away from Chihiro's face. "Do you have any in mind?"

She nodded and smiled gently, but didn't make a move to speak.

"What are they? Tell me."

"I didn't know I would have so many problems being pregnant," she said gently. "I thought the real trouble would be getting pregnant… because we were so different, I never thought-," she shook her head. "Now everyone that we've told… they will know I-,"

"Tell me them, please."

Chihiro closed her eyes. "I feel _weird_."

"It's all a part of the process," muttered Zeniba from the side.

Chihiro felt like she was slipping away. The room was spinning and she closed her eyes briefly. Her skin was tingling and her chest felt like it was beginning to get tighter. What was this feeling? What. A. Strange. Feeling.

It wasn't unpleasant, or horrible, it was just weird. She opened her eyes to see her husband talking to Zeniba. His mouth moved slowly, and the words sounded even slower. She could see every hair on his head. Every beautiful emerald strand. His nose was so slender and perfect. His eyes were narrow and beautiful. His lips, oh how she loved to kiss those lips. Haku noticed her watching then, and Chihiro loved it when a small smile graced those lips.

"What are you looking at, Chihiro?" he asked.

"You," she laughed. "You're so beautiful."

Haku looked to Zeniba. "Is this supposed to happen?"

Zeniba shrugged. "The spells been cast. It effects everyone differently. It looks like she's enjoying an extreme high."

Chihiro giggled and laughed, then she closed her eyes and sighed. Haku felt the baby – it was relaxed and unmoving, like it was in a deep state of conscious relaxation. At least it was still there, still alive. He sighed deeply. Zeniba was packing up her things into the leather bag again.

"Cup of tea?" he asked.

Zeniba smiled. "It's all right, Haku," she smiled. "I really must get back. There's a cake in the oven I hope No Face has taken out. I'll send you some."

"What…," he looked at Chihiro, who was mindlessly looking at something outside.

"She'll fall asleep in a while," she said. "The spell is very taxing, but should be complete in up to four hours. After that, she'll carry the baby and her body will stop rejecting it's blood. You should be thankful you caught it early."

"I am," nodded Haku. "Thank you, Zeniba. Your aid has been immeasurable to me."

"No need to be so formal all the time," she smiled well-naturedly. "She is my granddaughter. I would do anything for this family. When she goes to sleep, she will be fine. Have a good day."

Zeniba left the Palace then, and Haku slumped on the side of the bed, watching Chihiro and she closed her eyes, and then opened them again, and then closed them, repeating the action until she noticed Haku sitting by her bed. Chihrio smiled.

"Let's make love," she sighed. "I feel amazing. Let's make love."

Haku laughed. "Maybe later."

Her hand touched the inside of his thigh. "Why not now?"

"Because I'm tired," he lied. "Aren't you tired?"

Chihiro thought for a moment. "Maybe…" she replied after a moment. She smiled groggily. "Yeah… maybe."

Haku considered casting a spell, but resisted in case it just messed up Zeniba's, or played havoc with it and something bad happened. Instead, he rolled beside his wife and allowed his body heat and closeness to soothe her. As predicted, the woman fell asleep in a matter of moments and Haku slowly, carefully, detangled himself from his wife. Satisfied she would sleep soundly, he retreated into the office to do some work.

He phoned Ayne first and explained that Chihiro had fallen ill, and that he would not be able to make any of his appointments today. He heard the hesitation in his voice, but soothed that it would be fine, nonetheless, and asked of Chihiro and went about giving her well wishes, and then hung up. Haku huffed and looked at the documents that were still to be read and signed and filed. He sighed and dipped his pen into the pot of ink and began to work.

* * *

Was she dreaming? The beautiful baby was in her arms and was looking up at her with large green eyes. She held it carefully, but it felt strange, like she thought it would to hold her child for the first time.

"I'm your Mama," she smiled at it. The baby continued to look at her.

"What's your name?" she asked. "Tell me your perfect name, baby."

The baby shifted suddenly and Chihiro saw something out of the corner of her eye – something swept across the bedspread. A giant lizard – dragon's - tail ghosted over the bed. Chihiro followed it back to her baby, back to this perfect infant in her arms, only to see it yawn and exhibit rows of sizable teeth. W-what was this?

"Baby…," she murmured. Frantically, Chihiro looked around – looked for her husband, her friends, her parents, her grandparents. She looked back at the baby and gasped as something wet slipped through her finger. The baby was melting – melting into black goo, staining her skirts and her fingers, distorting and melting and dying. Chihiro cried out.

And then she was falling – falling and falling and never stopping through a deep dark pit. She screamed, but it seemed to go on forever and forever.

"Chihiro-," her name was being hissed somewhere deep down in the chasm. She convulsed and hit the ground as snakes began to slither over her calves and legs, sealing her to the floor.

"HELP ME!" she screamed. Everything was dark.

"Chihiro, wake up," the voice permeated the black space. She felt the sting of the snakes sinking their fangs into her flesh. She saw the goo of the melted child on her fingers. She screamed and cried.

"Chihiro!"

Chihiro bolted upright and fell into Haku's arms weeping and crying. The man simply held her, soothed her with a hand on her back and whispered words into her ear.

"It's alright. It was just a dream."

Chihiro hiccupped and sniffed against his shoulder. "What happened to me?"

Haku climbed onto the bed with his wife and smoothed back her hair from her face. She looked so much better, so much healthier. Pressing a kiss to her forehead he said,

"You were burning a fever. Zeniba came over, because it meant that your body was rejecting the baby. We saved it though, with a spell. That's why you feel like this. It's not a normal kind of spell. It's complex and deep," he smiled gently at her bewildered face. "It's going to take a while to recover from. That's why you had such strange dreams." He saw her look in his eyes blankly and frowned.

"Chihiro," he said levelly. "How much do you remember?"

She bit her lip and said, "I remember feeling sick for the last few weeks… and then, um – not much. Did that all really happen?"

Haku nodded. "I'm afraid so."

"And the baby?"

"Is fine now," he said gently. "You really don't remember what you did, and said. It's Tuesday, if that means anything to you."

Chihiro shook her head. "I think the last thing I remember is…," he laughed. "Saturday night."

"Oh," Haku muttered, remembering Saturday night. "Well at least you remember that. I pretty much blew your mind that night. I'm not too sure if I can do an encore."

Chihiro laughed and hugged her mate. His presence was so soothing and Chihiro could have stayed there for an eternity more. Eventually, however, her stomach rumbled and she knew she needed to eat.

"Um, dinner?" she asked.

"It's been delivered," he said gently. "But I have to go – there are some people I need to meet and things I need to discuss. Will you be all right here? I can have someone come in if you want?"

Chihiro shook her head. "It's all right. When will you be done?"

"Late, I'm afraid. But I'll try and finish quickly," he kissed her cheek and sighed. "Are you sure you'll be all right? I can send Ayne down. Please I would feel better. I don't want you here alone if you're not feeling well."

"I'll be fine. I kind of want some quiet right now anyway," Chihiro sighed as Haku got up. He returned a moment later with a fragrant dish and a bottle of water and handed it to Chihiro.

"Eat, please," he demanded. "Do you want me to draw you a bath? Light the fire?"

"Bath please," she hummed. Haku kissed her lips softly, then lingered and kissed them a little more fiercely. Chihiro kissed back with want and dropped her fork. Hearing the clatter, Haku laughed and picked it back up.

"I was so scared I'd lost you," he said tenderly.

Chihiro touched his hand. "You'll never lose me. I'll always be around." She sighed. "Do you really have to go? I really want you to stay."

He nodded. "Unfortunately. I'll try to be quick, however. I'll bring the rest of the paperwork back here. But don't wait up for me."

Chihiro accepted, and Haku left. She finished her meal in silence and then went to draw a bath. It was soothing and she rubbed oils over her swollen stomach. Images of that haunting, visual dream became apparent, but she pushed it back and decided to do something useful in between the time she wasn't drowsy. She went to the gift basket her parent's had given her, which was in the yellow room, still unpacked, and fished out a baby name book.

_100,000+ Baby Names_, was its title. Well, Chihiro didn't need that many baby names. Just one. Or maybe two. Or maybe four – a first and middle name for each gender would be nice. With a sigh she began flicking through it.

There were names from all sorts of origins, from many places within the human world all compiled into the one book. She looked at Japanese baby names, since they were culturally relevant, and Haku would have an interest to know the kanji of the name.

She started with the girls'.

* * *

Haku sat in his office going over paperwork. He'd spent the last three-quarters of an hour with Ayne, who wanted to know of Chihiro's condition. He'd sufficed to say she'd fallen ill with a fever but was recovering well, and did not elaborate any further than that, and then there were other meetings and things to discuss that he'd missed today. He'd been given a stack of paperwork – one of his most favourite things in the world – and had decided to retire to his office and burn the midnight oil.

There was a small knock on the door and Haku called for whoever it was to come in – perhaps it was Chihiro.

It wasn't. It was Senekular.

"My lord," he bowed and smiled.

"Minister," replied Haku, "what brings you out this late?"

Senekular smiled briefly. "I have always been more of a night owl, myself," he said. "I have heard The Lady was not well. I send her my best wishes."

"She came down with a slight fever," he lied politely, signing off on a grand to repave a part of the square. "She's recovering now. Everything is fine."

"I am glad," said Senekular, looking at the chair. "May I sit? I have something to discuss with you."

Haku nodded and motioned to the chair with his hand. "Of course. What matters do you have?"

"I was going to bring it up this morning," stated Senekular. "I realise that I have not been pleasant towards you, and I apologise for this," he cleared his throat. "I worked with Sar'onga for many centuries – I suppose you may say, to be working with someone so young like yourself came as quite a shock."

"Do not mistake youth for inexperience," replied Haku levelly.

"I did not," he replied quickly. "And I mean no offence to you. Simply, that you picked everything up here so quickly."

"I have known for a long time I was to take the Throne after Sar'onga died, despite the fact I thought he may live for many centuries longer," he muttered. "May he rest peacefully with the Lords."

"Yes, yes," Senekular muttered, "but the pressing issue is still the Western Lands. Of what have you heard?"

"No deaths, no soldiers infiltrating our borders on malicious orders, trade routes are still strong-," he cleared his throat. "Sometimes I wonder what made me think that the Western Lands were something to worry about."

"And you have met with Jaikomaru? You have spoken with this Lord?"

"Yes," replied Haku. "He seems intent on maintaining the peace between our lands. It is a commendable effort after everything past the Lords have done to influence a violet fission." He signed his name over a small bill and put it to the side.

"Is it not strange both lands lost their lords within the immediant time?" hummed Senekular. Haku looked up towards him then, and the man shrugged.

"I am simply stating a fact that some may have not noticed. Rami-tarng passes away, not from old age in fact, the man was quite young, and our dearest Sar'onga." He smiled and shrugged simply. "And perhaps it was a pact."

"Perhaps," Haku replied with a hum. "Doubtful. Who wants an early grave?"

Senekular looked to the fire that was burning in the corner of his room. "Some. Maybe a few decades in this job may change your tune, my Lord. It's taxing and demanding." He looked to the Lord then. "I hear that your new mate is expecting. Congratulations."

"Thank you."

"Do you hope for a son, or a daughter?"

"Either," he replied. "Do you have children?"

"Not at all," he said. "Will your children have any claim to the throne?"

"None unless they earn it," he replied in a small tuney-hum. "The bathhouse is theirs though. They can have that. I'm afraid, however, when I die, so will the river."

Senekular nodded. "I forget you're a business man. Good for our treasuries."

"Is it?" he replied with a small grin. "Ismene is Master of Wealth, or should I say, Mistress."

"Sar'onga enjoyed putting women to work - sacked the old Master of Wealth and reinstated a former whore," he muttered.

"Ismene has a quick mind and judgement skills," he replied. "My wife was telling me, perhaps we think ourselves above the human world, but there are numerous things they are better at than we are."

"Humour me," replied Senekular. Haku turned his head up at the tone.

"For sixty years, women have been rallying for equality in the workplace. They're now paid almost as much as the men, and some even run their own countries," he replied. "Perhaps we could take a turn out of their book. This is the first Lady the Lands have seen. I hope she won't be the last."

Senekular considered this for a moment and Haku went back to his paperwork while the man formulated a response.

"It is hard to consider women being anything more when the dearest old Lord simply picked them out from the chambers of his whore house," replied Senekular.

"I'm not saying it was the best way," rebuked Haku. "A father does not hope his daughter will be forced into such a position in order to make her way in the world. That is the way it has been in the past, but if the women has merit, has intelligence and drive, then she will be considered my equal. When we take mates, do we not consider them our equals? Do we not concede they are on the same level as we are?"

Senekular shrugged. "I have never been mated."

"Then you miss a great joy in life," he replied earnestly.

Senekular rose from his chair then. "Thank you for this chat. I has been pleasant."

Haku nodded his acknowledgement. "Have a good night."

"As to you. Send my well-wishes to the lady."

"You are kind."

Senekular bowed before leaving the office, closing the door gently behind him.

* * *

Thanks for those people who reviewed the last chapter. I really appreciate your continue support!

**animeaddict1999, Superblueowl, Abcdefg824, toshirofan4ever, CherriDoll, Heartz4Jesus, RubyDemonXoXo, LeeshyLoo, xXxWolfPawxXx, Gearhead Fenton, DemonChild94, ulquihime7980, WhisperToTheWolves, Randa29, michelle88222, DragonofYang, Tamisin, Nerocchi, Abcdefg924, CharmedBooklett, BlackMoonStar10, Carly, Allimba**, and **Miss Rune.**

I'm slowly writing a few chapters here and there for this fanfiction. We just past 450 reviews, which is so amazing! I can't believe it. Thanks for your time. Please remember to leave a quick review before you go this week.

~ Arlia'Devi


	27. XXVII: Grey Area

**The Path of Water**

By Arlia'Devi

Disclaimer: I do not own Spirited Away in any respect; all rights go to Hayao Miyazaki and associates. I make no money from this.

**The Path of Water**

**XXVII: Grey Area**

Chihiro woke up early in the morning, her book still opened to a dog eared page and the lamp still on the bedside table. She checked her watch – it was still very early in the morning and she groaned. Haku hadn't come to bed yet; she really hoped he still wasn't up working. With a huff she crawled out of bed, grabbing a light silk robe to wrap around her body. The silk dressing gown or the robe did nothing to hide her stomach, which was bulged considerably in the attire.

She padded out of their chambers and down the hall, crossing her arms over her chest as she sneakily navigated the hallways. It was dark and late, and few individuals would be out at such an early nature. Only, it seemed, her dragon was foolish enough to burn the early morning oil.

He'd told her he didn't need as many hours sleep as humans but he still needed the rest. She came into sitting room, where a fire was burning in the hearth, illuminating the room in a haunting, yet warm glow.

"My lady?" a slithery voice made Chihiro visibly jump. Senekular, from the armchair in the shadows of the room, rose and bowed. "What brings you out so late?"

Chihiro shifted awkwardly as Senekular approached her. "Can I help you?"

"I'm looking for my husband," she replied. "Is he still working."

"Yes," replied the minister. "He's in the study, my lady. Shall I escort you?"

"No, thank you," Chihiro said gently. She felt foolish for being caught, by this man nonetheless, in her skimpy silk nightie. She felt him eyeballing her figure –fully and voluptuous and laden with child and it made her feel awkward. "It is late, though, you should retire also."

Senekular smiled in a sort of grimace that turned his lips up strangely. "My lady is kind to think of my welfare. In fact, I sleep very little and when I can't sleep, I like to indulge with the literature of ancestors. There have been rumours that you were such a writer in the human world, is that correct?"

"Not really," Chihiro replied. "I was studying anthropology at University. It's the study of different human societies within the past and present. Maybe it's why I'm so interested in the spirit world; it's multifaceted and complex, and completely knew from what I've ever experienced. I'm still getting used to how everything works here."

Senekular nodded but didn't say anything. Chihiro dared to speak again, she knew of Senekular's thoughts regarding her, but if she didn't address the issues that befell her, how could she hope to be someone to look up to? She sighed inwardly.

"I know we have not got off on the correct foot, so to speak," she began.

"I have little time or understanding of your human phrases," Senekular interrupted, clearly not understanding the saying.

Chihiro cleared her throat. "Let me rephrase. I know we are not on the best of terms, you and I, and I know it stems from my background and my mortality," Chihiro spoke. "I can't help that. I can't help what I am. I don't apologise for being a human, because I'm proud to be."

There was a slight giggle in the hall and Senekular turned to look. Half of his narrow face was illuminated by the fire. Chihiro assumed that his vision was much better than hers – since he watched for quite a while in a hallway that was dark.

"Humans are young race who think they're as old as the earth. Your people are narcissistic and cruel," he said and turned back to Chihiro. "You're obsessed with your own mortality and breed furiously spurred by some ideal that you need to live on after death." His eyes glimmered in the fire. "Even now you think about I – your own death. You know every moment that passes by is unreachable, just another blink in a lifetime. You, more than any human I've ever known, are obsessed with their own mortality, of being remembered after their gone." Senekular smirked. "You may be proud to be a human, my Lady, but you – any human – would give up their mortality to walk among us, those who never age unless we wish, those who have no meaning to time and age. Your plight is to find a cure for your mortality..."

Chihiro staggered back a little as Senekular approached. Her hand covered her stomach instinctively.

"But I'm afraid to say there isn't," Senekular replied. "The lines between the divine and the human have always been clean-cut. There is no grey area."

Chihiro swallowed and dropped her hand before straightening her back.

"I don't expect you to like me, minister," she spoke, but knew she couldn't disguise the wobble in her voice. "I don't expect everyone to like me, but I do expect respect. For you to respect me as much as I respect you."

"And you respect me?" he asked, disbelief in his tone.

"My husband says you have served a long time, and are skilled at your job. You are allowed to have your opinions about me," she said gently. "But you have not done wrong by me."

Something flashed in Senekular's eyes. It sent a shiver down Chihiro's spine. It was hauntingly reminiscent.

"Perhaps someone would have passed you off if you remained a lowly human lover in a bathhouse on the edge of the world," Senekular replied. "But a human as the Lady, mated to the Lord, you will heed my warning – there are people with malicious intentions. And malicious intentions are much more dangerous than malicious words."

"Malicious words lead to malicious intentions," retorted Chihiro. A shiver crawled up her back and she swallowed thickly.

"Not in this case," Senekular replied. Chihiro almost broke down as he finally walked past her and exited the room. The fire spat and hissed in the hearth and Chihiro let out a wheezing breath, catching her heart as it flew out her throat. For a moment she regained her composure before going on to see her husband.

The office was illuminated by another fire that was burning low on wood and tinder. Chihiro entered without a knock to find her husband deep in concentration over bills and paperwork and requests and all the things he dealt with. Reading glasses hung over the hook of his nose as he dipped the quill into the pot of ink.

"Husband," she cooed from the bed.

Haku looked up, pressing his glasses up his nose with a finger.

"Come to bed, it's late."

"I'm still working, this work-,"

"Will be here in the morning," Chihiro sighed and approached her husband. She rubbed his shoulder's gently, before adding a little pressure. She smiled when her husband arched off the seat and cracked his back.

"And more of it."

"Come to bed, please," she kissed the shell of his ear. "I woke up and you still weren't there."

Haku sighed and put down the quill. "Fine," he replied.

Chihiro laughed. "Good man."

* * *

A week later, Chihiro was feeling fighting fit again. The few weeks past she'd been feeling lethargic and terrible, but now noticed the glow on her skin and felt the extra bounce in her step. Ayne and Ismene had commented on how well she looked and how her hair shined and her eyes looked beautiful. Now that the whole puking her up her stomach lining was over, Chihiro felt well.

The robe she wore was made to hide her stomach. People knew of her pregnancy, but that didn't mean that they liked to be confronted with the roundness that was her. Unless it was Haku. He had a terrible habit of being able to find the folds in her kimono inconspicuously when they were alone, but in public. He truly was terrible.

Chihiro didn't tell Haku of her conversation with Senekular, but often saw her husband conversing with the spirit. Chihiro, more or less, was happy spending time in the libraries or in her own study reading books and working on her own. She didn't know exactly what she wanted to say, but she wanted to say something meaningful. Like empowerment and equality and stuff like that. But how did she start? Did she talk about her own life? There were so many facets within what she wanted to write that sometimes it hurt to think.

When she came to twenty-four weeks that following Sunday, she was nervous. The baby was probably a 'something' now – a boy or a girl and Haku had said he'd stopped checking up on it in case he'd accidentally find out. It seemed unanimous that they'd keep the gender a secret.

One Friday afternoon was lazy and quiet and Haku finished his work early. Chihiro was in the library when he came to find her.

"This room is too drab and dull for you, my dearest," Haku said as he approached her. Chihiro looked up from her notes and planning.

"I'm not in the mood for your teasing, dragon. Unlike you, I have work to do."

Haku laughed. "My busy little wife, can you take a break? Please, I promise not to take longer than needed. Your time is precious."

"All right," Chihiro conceded easily. "You don't need to tease. What do you want to talk about?"

Haku revealed the book from his pocket – the obscenely amount of baby names book.

"The sun is out, afternoon tea is being served and we have a pressing matter that will probably erupt in an argument to settle." He took her hand and lead her out from the library.

"How was work?"

"Good. I spoke with Rin."

"How is she?" Chihiro squeezed her husband's hand.

"Well," he replied with a smile and eased her worries.

They went out into the vast gardens and sat in a gazebo where a teapot and small cakes were already being laid out. Chihiro smiled and smoothed back her hair as they sat down.

"I have ideas," he said, opening the book and studying it deeply. "This book has too many names."

"At least it's thorough."

Haku considered that and nodded his agreement.

"What are your ideas, husband," Chihiro smiled. "Are you looking at girl or boy?"

"Ah. Girl's first. Chihiro Jr. Junior is a suffix, it says in here."

"In Western names," Chihiro reminded.

"Hakuson – well, that's self-explanatory."

"Seriously."

"Seriously," Haku replied across the table. Chihiro pursed her lips and Haku laughed.

"I like the name Kaida for our daughter."

Chihiro frowned. "That means 'little dragon', Haku."

"What?" he defended. "She will be. I think it's nice."

"How original," Chihiro sighed. She took a sip of her tea. It was refreshing. "Boy's name?"

Haku sighed. "That's harder. What about Seito?"

Chihiro shook her head. "Maybe. I don't know. There are so many to choose from, how are we ever going to decide?"

Haku thought for a long moment, his brow knitted in concentration. "Moeka. For a girl. I like that name."

"Terrible."

"Tadao. That a solid name for a son, isn't it? Do you like that maybe?"

Chihiro shook her head again. "Haku! Are we ever going to settle on a name?"

He laughed and poured his second cup of tea. "Maybe not. Maybe we will never agree. Maybe we just wait until the baby comes. Then we might know. When we look at it."

"Maybe. I don't know. I want things to be organised before then," she watched the dregs in her tea cup, as if they would congregate and spell out the answer to all her problems.

"There are some things that just can't be organised. We can keep looking and keep discussing." He motioned to the big fat book. "There has to be something in here we both like." He picked up the book and flicked to a random page. "Tatsuo – male dragon. Straight to the point."

"Is there some obsession you have with naming your child after yourself?" Chihiro sniggered. "Do you need it to be so bluntly self-explanatory? I mean, my name doesn't exactly mean "One Thousand", and it doesn't directly affect my life."

Haku slumped back in his chair. "It's so hard!" he complained childishly. "I mean, it was fun making it and all – but all this stuff is so difficult. How long do we have?"

Chihiro looked at her stomach. It was full and beautiful and could be seen through her light summer robes. She spied Ayne and Ismene on the other side of the large garden. They were talking to each other and walking through the gardens. They seemed happy together, and Haku followed Chihiro's eye sight.

"They're best friends," Haku said gently. "Both were patroned by Sar'onga in all things politics and worldly. I suppose they're almost sisters. Like you are with Chase and Rin."

Chihiro sighed. "I worry for Rin."

"So do I. Often."

"Chase has her family. Aeala's almost one," she sighed. "I guess sometimes Rin feels alone."

Haku was going to say something, but he decided against it. Chihiro shot him a quizzical look over the table. He couldn't say anything – he'd vowed against Rin and speaking of Raijin would only upset Chihiro.

He offered her a smile. "Just trying to think of a name, that's all," he lied gently.

Chihiro grinned back, taking the book and dragging it to her side. "Don't stress over it. We'll find the right one."

* * *

Chihiro was struggling to put her thoughts onto the paper, Haku was tied up in work in the Throne Room. Another letter had come from the old man by the Western border telling that not much had changed - as if suddenly it had gotten better. Haku hummed over the letter and then searched for the three more he'd received from the man. They told him of soldiers, of fires and fear. Now these letters, in the same hand writing, told him of growing peaceful times. It made little sense. Only a few weeks had passed since the last letter - a few days before he left for his wedding. He hummed and shuffled through the letters.

"Attending?"

A boy shuffled to Haku's side.

"Yes, my Lord?"

"Get me Minister of Trade, please?"

"I'll call for Minister Yaug right away, my lord," said the Attending and shuffled off. Soon enough, Minister Yaug entered the Throne room and bowed deeply.

"You wanted to see me, my lord?"

Haku ushered Yaug up the stairway. The rather large spirit shuffled up the three stairs to meet Haku.

"I believe a congratulations is in order," he said. "For both you and the lady."

"Thank you," he replied. "But I have called you in to discuss a matter... how are the trade routes from the Western lands?"

"Strong," replied Yaug. "Considering."

"Considering what?"

"Considering the new powers in the Western Lands. We have been receiving smaller amounts of black-stone ore, and of 99-percent-down great pheasant feather. Some spices have stopped coming through. Major items are still in good shipments."

Haku hummed. "Black-stone ore is used for smelting into weapons," Haku hummed. "What percentage has it dropped?"

"I have specific documentation," replied Yaug. "But I believe from memory it is about 13%."

Thirteen percent was not much. Haku hummed. He loathed the idea of leaving Chihiro at the palace but perhaps he needed to leave and visit the border yet again.

"What has you worried, my lord?" asked Yaug.

"Just some news from a citizen at the border?"

"The old man?"

"Hmm," Haku acknowledged. "I may have to visit." He pulled a paper from a small pile and dipped a pen into some ink. "That will be all. Attending, do I have anymore meetings this afternoon?"

"No, sir," replied the Attending from his post.

"What are you doing?" inquired Yaug, looking over his Lord's shoulder. "Any word from the Shinji boy-man?"

"None," gritted Haku. "And of that I'm frustrated."

"You're writing a letter? To the Western Lord? About what?"

"Scheduling a meeting," replied Haku, signing off his name at the bottom in perfect calligraphy. He folded the letter, poured a glob of hot wax over the paper and sealed it with a Eastern Imperial Palace seal.

* * *

I'm terribly sorry about the lack of updates. Unfortunately, I have to admit that this is the last of the pre-written chapters I've archived. At the moment, I'm working and writing for many other magazines, so the updates will not be as regular as they have been in the past. Of course, this fanfiction will be finished - there's no doubt about that.

Thank you to everyone who has supported and reviewed for this fanfiction. Of course, the best way to make sure you stay up to date with this fanfiction's updates is to "follow" this fanfic or follow me on my twitter page (send me a shout out through a review and I'll send you a link). On my twitter I give updates as to my fanfic chapters, any delays, and share some of my professional writing and other writing opportunities.

Thanks for reading and please take a moment to leave a review. I'm sorry about it being so late! (worked, went to a pink concert, now have a cold - all fun times).

See you all soon!

~ **Arlia'Devi**


End file.
